


I Love Luci

by rsfahrudeen



Series: Four Little Archangels [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Domestic, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Manipulation, Family Drama, Female Gabriel, Female Lucifer, Fix-It, Fluff, Leviathan - Freeform, Purgatory, Reconciliation, Reform, Wayward Daughters, archangels are badasses, probation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-08 04:05:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 43
Words: 151,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7742698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rsfahrudeen/pseuds/rsfahrudeen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alex's apartment building is now renovated into a shelter for hunters and recovery center for the formerly possessed or other wise supernaturally afflicted. She and Raphael are ready to move forwards with their lives, studying psychology, and helping the supernatural community. As Michael and Luci are off hunting down the remaining leviathan, it should be relatively peaceful. Unfortunatly, nothing ever works the way it's supposed to.</p><p>Takes place a few months after Devil Pray</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Howdy Neighbor

**Author's Note:**

> This work is to take care of the loose ends I couldn't in the other one. Namely getting Raphael and Lucifer to reconcile. Raphael's going to really fight me on this I know so it's probably going to be a long one too, but hopefully not nearly as long as the last one. 
> 
> Fans of Devil Pray, let me know if there's something you think I left unresolved or things you should think happens. I have fun writing this but it's as much for you guys as it is for me so input please.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Raphael, back from their vacation, settle in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mikhail Suslov- He was the second secretary of the communist party in the soviet union in the sixties. He was the unofficial chief ideologue of the party. He died in 1982. If the recruiter had known that, Raphael might have actually considered it.
> 
> Some people in the middle east refer to the U.S. as the Great Satan. I shouldn't have to say why Raphael would prefer to say that to just Death to America.

           True to her word, when Alex and Raphael return to the building, Gabriel's made it so Courage barely even knew they left. Of course it only takes the usual excitement of their return to work him up so much that he pees on the carpet.

            "Bree would give us a dog with a nervous bladder." Alex sighs.

             "We don't have to keep him." Raphael reminds her, earning himself a sharp look which he considers undeserved. He wasn't saying they should, just reminding her it's an option. What kind of psycho gives you a talk about how you're going too fast in your new relationship then gifts you and your lover a puppy to raise. His little sister that's who. Still, he has always been fond of dogs. And at least she's not pressing them to have a child. Granted her train wreck of a pregnancy might have made her a bit more reasonable in that regard, but he'll take what he can get.

             "Alright, mail, mail, mail, junk, mail." Alex takes the bundle from her bag and starts sorting through it. "Hey, we got our acceptance letters." She hands him the envelopes from Souix Falls Community College. While textbooks are informative, there are some things you can only learn from a professor or mentor, so Raphael decided that he'd join Alex in persuing a degree in psychology. Though while Alex is concentrating on psychotherapy, he's decided to look into psychoparmachology as well. A larger school will be neccessary later but for now, Alex's is more convenient.

               "How do you know they're acceptances?"

               "I've gotten enough of them. I should know by now. Besides your Sat's are through the roof. I'm surprised they didn't send it on a velvet cushion in a gold embossed envelope with heralds and everything." Alex puts the bills aside.

               "They couldn't. We were abroad."

               "NYC isn't a foreign country. It just seems like one. And you really need to stop mouthing off to army recruiters. You're going to get yourself placed on a terrorist watch list. I mean it." She shakes the various ads at him.

                "I'm not overly worried." He grins as if on cue, the same office who called last rings up his cell phone. "Asalam alaikum."

                 "Raph..." though Alex is silently laughing to herself even as she chides him.

                "Um, hello, is this Raphael Jones?"

                "Yes."

                 "The Raphael Jones who got perfect scores on both the ACT and SATs?"

                 "Speaking."

                 "Son, have you ever considered a career with the US Army?"

                 "Not as such, but my husband Alex does love a man in uniform." This causes a breif pause on the other end. "I'd love to talk but I'm late for my Future Socialist leaders of America meeting. We have Mikhail Suslov as our keynote speaker tonight. Death to the Great Satan." He hangs up. Hopefully they won't call back.

                  "You know that Suslov reference went right over his head." Alex tosses him a peppermint stick. "And stop calling me your husband, you know they just have to look at the fake marriage certificate to see that I am in fact a woman. And I'm not transgender either."

                  "Don't worry, I'm going to ask Gabriel to purge me from their database soon." He crunches off an end of the mint. "I'm starting to think that I should have artificially lowered my scores."

                   "How soon?" Alex tosses her bag on the computer desk.

                   "Not that soon." He steps forwards to give her a kiss.

                   "Good lord, you two. Didn't you just have a month together in New York?" He can hear his sister tsk at them from where ever she apparated into the apartment.

                   "Lababa! Ala!" She brought Shelly with her. "Hai!"

                    "You're teaching her to call me Labbiel aren't you?" He accuses her. Gabriel just gives him her most innocent dimpled smile from atop the granite topepd island in the center of the room, her baby on her knee. "Don't smile at me, you brat."

                   "Uncle Raphie's being mean. Go pbbbtthh." She instructs the baby, blowing a raspberry his way.

                   "bpbppthhphh." Shelly's attempt just makes her drool all over her mother's arm. Gabriel doesn't seem to notice.

                    "Pbbbbttthhhh!" They both manage, making the same damn face, too.  Shelly ends it by shreiking with laughter and slamming her head back into her mother's breastbone hard enough that if Gabriel was human it would have seriously hurt her. As it is, it's enough to make Shelly start crying. But it's nothing a kiss from her uncle can't fix.

                   "Hai!" she beams when he picks her up. "I wa. wa mi wa!" She starts kicking her legs.

                   "She wants you to watch her walk."Gabriel takes her back and puts her on the floor, feet first. Shelly holds tightly onto her mother's thumbs and poicks her legs up and down strutting proudly but slowly forwards.

                   "Mi wa! Wa wa wa. Wa wa wa." She sings happily, "Wa wa... da!" She shreiks as Courage creeps near, sending him scampering, and starts to bounce excitedly. "Mama! Da! A da! dow, dow..." Gabriel puts her gently down on the carpet where she's quickly up to her hands and knees. "Wai mi, da! wai me!" She can crawl surprisingly fast despite what an awkward looking trot it is. Courage just runs like his life depends on it. A reasonable reaction to Gabriel's offspring. More sensible than cowardly, really.

                    "Goodness she's getting big."Alex follows her with her eyes. "She's what, nine months? Hey, this'll be her first christmas coming up. Doing anything special?" She asks, though there's not much point as Shelly's too young to remember it.

                    "Well, Sam's searching for educational toys. I'm just going to wrap them and stick them in oversized boxes filled with multicolor ping pong balls and let her frolic in them after it's opened." Alex just gives her a reproachful look, though it sounds surprisingly sensible of Gabriel to Raphael. "What? We'll just see which she likes the best."

                     "She is a cheery little thing, isn't she?" Alex steps back as Courage tears back across the floor between them.

                     "Da da da, da da da, da da da, da da da," Shelly belts, her smile so wide her eyes are almost shut. Under the sofa seems to be a safe place for Courage to hide. "Ca ma, da. Ca ma."  she peers under it. Her loose curls are like a little golden brown halo around her head.

                     "Doggy's shy, babycakes." Gabriel kneels down beside her. "Gotta give him his space." Shelly plops down on her little butt and pouts up at them with great big soulful eyes. "Sorry, kiddo, but them's the breaks. He'll like you some day." She picks the sullen baby up.

                      "Why did you say that? That implies he doesn't!" Alex protests.

                      "He doesn't." Raphael coaxes Courage out. "She's too loud and not gentle enough."

                      "Not her fault, she doesn't have the fine motor control yet."

                      "That doesn't mean he has to subject himself to it." He sooths the nervous pup. "When she learns to be quieter and gentler, he'll be more willing to approach her."

                        "How will she learn if he won't?" Gabriel argues.

                        "Go find an older more patient nanny breed to let her play with. Courage is just a puppy and really I think you've irreparably scarred enough infants."

                         "He was not 'irreparably' scarred." She protest. "Just.. you know... incredibly. And it was better than death, so.. Speaking of which, Alex.." She turns to her.

                         "I don't think I like that segue." Alex walks over to the fridge. Raphael silently agrees.

                         "I've found you an assistant manager for the building. She has the apartment across from you. Jonah and Bethany are set up in the second and third floors and the hunters dorms are ready. So just a few days and we'll be officially open for business. I did make a few additions to the plans though."She brings up a play pen for Shelly and plops her in. "I added an armory and a pantry for spells and such. Raph, if you could keep the pantry stocked..."

                          "Of course. You are paying my tuition."

                          "Well, Luci's Garden is." Gabriel grins. Raphael just tightens his lips and refuses to comment. "Speaking of Gardens I put a greenhouse on the room, so happy birthday."

                          "Angels don't have birthdays." he reminds her.

                           "I know, but happy 'randomly assigned date of birth on your fraudulent documentation' doesn't have quite the same ring to it." She tosses him a purely ornamental key that won't open anything, but says Raphael's greenhouse on the ribbon.

                         "Besides, if that doesn't stop Bree." Alex grins at her. "Am I going to have to guard an armory?"

                         "No. Luthiel and Emmet will be doing that with Dardiel and Judy. And guarding the pantry. There will be replacements soon, but they all just want some time away from people with a few good books. Speaking of time off, Michael and I are working on a vacation schedule." Gabriel brings up a calendar and spreads the pages out on the island.

                         "A what?" he puts Courage down. The dog trots over to the play pen where he can safely observe the infant.

                         "Da!" She shreiks, going for the side. Courage takes off.

                         "Things are very stressful as you well know, so we've decided that an occaisional breif vacation from our assigned roles is appropriate. now, we do want to have at least two fully powered archangels available at all times. So we're sort of blocking off dates, almost like a time share. Obviously we won't be using all of them, but we can use any at any time without warning."

                          "I see Michael's claimed summer." Raphael comments, noting the red lines going from the summer to autumnal equinoxes. The yellow lines through winter are a bit of a surprise, though.

                          "Snowball fights and Hot chocolate as it's meant to be had, smothered in marshmallows huddled in front of a fireplace with frostnipped fingers and snow melting down the back of your neck." Gabriel informs his big brother.

                          "If you get sick, I won't be healing you."

                         "Obviously we can lay claim to more. Especially as Castiel prefers to hang onto his grace at all times," An incredibly sensible viewpoint for the angel.  
"Bu we only decided on one quarter until you got to pick one."

                          "So by vacation what do you mean exactly?" He decides to give her a chance to tell him that it's not the ridiculously foolhardy venture he thinks it is.

                          "I mean, and I think you know this due to your suspicious tone, removing your grace for a period to explore the human condition with your very human lover. It's educational as well as recreational." She gives him a wink as equally large and unsubtle as her comment.

                          "That's not necessary. I'm fine as I am."

                          "Take a block anyway." She hands him a green marker. So he claims spring. "Huh, I'd have thought you'd take fall." She looks it over.

                          "I won't be using it." He informs her.

                          "You'll get bored eventually. Don't you miss anything about being fully human? Michael wants to finish learning to swim and eat red meat. He still can't get the hang of distracted eating." She shrugs. That's true. The few bits of flavor he was able to get every now and then ended up being more of a tease than anything else. 

                           "Not really, no."

                           "I'd swear that isn't true, but you're not that good a liar." his sister looks at him suspiciously.

                            "Not everyone is as drawn to wanton hedonism as you are." Of course, this response just draws a laugh from Alex, which makes it impossible to keep the smile off of his own face. Gabriel gives him a penetrating look.

                          "Are you drunk? You're awfully smiley."

                          "I'm just in a very good mood." he informs her, though he realizes how rare that's been for an incredibly long time.

                          "Even after a month in the big apple?"

                          "I'm happy, Gabriel. Why are you so mystified by that?" More army recruitment letters. He never should have taken the Act tests.. "Though I'd be happier if you could do something to take me off their radar. The calls are absurd."

                          "Please do. He's going to get himself in trouble with the way he screws with the recruiters." Alex sighs. This intrigues Gabriel but she puts the question aside for now.

                           "You're really happy? It's not just some odd new defense mechanism covering up a gaping hole in your heart, beset by a fond longing for days not so long past?" Raphael knows what she's referring to and it almost pisses him off. Almost.

                          "Yes. I'm really happy. I have a wonderful lover, a wonderful home, I'm expanding my knowledge in a scientific field still in it's infancy and slowly bringing myself back into the good graces of the host. I'm very satisfied with my life and nothing is missing from it that shouldn't be. Understand?"

                          "Well, shit." Gabriel grimaces, but before he can demand what she meant by that, she's snapped her fingers and, along with Shelly, has dissappeared. She left the playpen though, so he puts Courage's food and water in it and plops him inside.

                           "That's a good idea." Alex comments peering over the island top, her hair falling down in front of her face. "he won't keep destroying the toilet paper that way. So," She smiles up at him. "You're happy."

                         "Very happy. And you?"

                         "Eh, I've had it worse." She teases, though he can feel the delighted contentment as soon as they're skin to skin, even in the slightest way.  "Welcome home, Mr. Jones."

                         "Welcome home, Ms. Jones." And of course, as he leans over to kiss her there's a knock on the door. "Ignore them, they'll go away."

                        "We're busy, come back in a few hours!" Alex yells brazenly, then covers her mouth when she realizes she actually did it. But there's no more knocking so it obviously wasn't that important. "C'mon. Let's christen the new building." She runs into the bedroom. "What the hell?" he follows her in to find it greatly expanded and with new furniture. An incredibly ergonomic bed for one, and a walk in closet leading to a small study.  Gabriel must have had them cannibalize the next door apartment.

                      "I can change it back if you want."

                      "No. I was just surprised, that's all." She starts to unbutton her shirt. He never thought he could find flannel appealing on anyone much less in plaid, but it's as if everything she touches is exactly as it should be. Being in love is the most wonderful thing in all of creation. It's enough to make up for everything else about it.

 

                    It's not too hard to cook up some fresh pasta primavera while Alex sleeps, and some fresh apple crisp for dessert. Maybe it might be worth taking a day or two and going out to eat, or go wine tasting in Italy. Or even just Martha's Vineyard. Napa Valley is coming into its own, more than just hype this time.

                    In truth, the smells are as satisfying as the tastes were if not more for the most part, but the art of manipulating the senses, using sight and smell to influence taste is endlessly fascinating. There's a chef who specializes in that. In Boho he thinks, with each meal carefully choreographed in every detail. An epicurian composer playing the human body like an orchestra without ever touching it.

                     But then again, is it really worth making himself vulnerable and unable to adequately protect himself or Alex? Michael and Gabriel seem to think so. Granted their partners are more than capable of taking care of themselves. Alex could be with a bit more training, but she's still very vulnerable. And he's the healer. If he's gone it makes everyone more vulnerable. Not that he's really needed at the moment. But that doesn't mean he won't be as soon as he's incapacitated in any way. That seems to be how it works.

                     He's honestly surprised that Michael's so eager to be human again for any length of time, given he died the last time. But the problem of his form is still the same. His interaction with humanity is limited by necessity. Too strong, too powerful, there are no physical challenges and Michael is an extremely physical angel. he always has been. He probably needs it just for his sanity.

                     Of course, sanity has long since been lost as an option for Gabriel, but it does reduce her capacity for mischeif at the very least, so it'd be hard to oject to, provided her husband can keep her alive and avoid impregnating her again. Hopefully she was joking about having three more. It's not always easy to tell. Maybe he should talk to Sam just to make sure.

                      "Courage is asleep. He'll definitely have to let him out when he wakes. There's a knock at the door again. Well, whoever it was must have actually come back. He wipes his hands on the apron and walks to the door.

                      "Can I help..." he starts as he opens it, but stops as he sees a familiar, tall teenage girl, with rich brown hair and ice blue eyes standing there as if she owns the world.

                       "Howdy neighbor." Lucifer smiles.

                       "No." Raphael slams the door shut, locks it and leaves to find and murder his little sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its unlikely this will post as regularly and consitantly as Devil Pray did as I'm also working on and typing up A Life of Virtue, which actually takes me an absurd amount of research to do right now, so I'd subscribe to it to get updates if you can. 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	2. Hide and Seek and Destroy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael tries to get rid of Lucifer and plans his revenge on Gabriel

                  "Where's your wife?" Raphael demands appearing behind Sam in the bunker as he attempts to feed Shelley some strained peas.

                  "I assumed she was with you. What's up? What do you need? Anything I can help with?" He offers, but at his distraction Shelly seizes the initiative and the spoon goes flying across the dining room table with surprising force.

                   "I need to kill her. You could help if you're willing. You do have better access."

                  "What did she do now?" Sam sighs, going over to retrieve it.

                  "She moved Lucifer into my apartment building. He'd better not be the assistant manager for Alex she talked about or I'm going to torture her first." he snaps the spoon clean. "It might help if you mix it with applesauce."

                    "I'm trying not to encourage her sweet tooth." Sam says with the sincere hope bourne of inexperience and blind optimism.

                    "Good luck with that." Raphael looks to his scowling neice. "Why won't you eat? You usually like peas." He asks her, though his peas are freshly grown steamed and pureed by hand, and not this watered down preserved mess.

                     "Mi." she says maintaining her scowl. "Mi doot."

                     "She wants to feed herself." Raphael informs her father just in case he isn't because he doesn't understand her.

                     "She's too young for that." Sam shakes his head.

                     "Then she'll get frustrated and give up and let you do it." Unless of course she's like her Aunt Luci. Then she'll starve first. But that would hardly be a helpful remark so he keeps it to himself. "You know she's fairly advanced and will continue to be. Why not let her try?"

                    "Aside fromthe mess and massive waste of food?" Sam looks fairly exhausted.

                    "Isn't she sleeping through the night yet?" he touches his forehead to revive his body a little, though it doesn't do too much to help his tired mind.

                    "No, she still wakes to eat, which is why I'm trying to get her to eat more solids, but she's being difficult."

                     "It needs to be sweeter. Breast milk and formula both are a little sweet. And you know with all the candy Gabriel eats, her milk is practically a liquid confectionary. Shelly's sweet tooth has already been cultivated." With Gabriel as a parent that was always a lost cause anyway. Unless she was somehow born with a disliking for sweets, she never stood a chance.

                     "She won't take formula, remember? Not anymore. Not once she figured out how to pray for Mommy." Sam's lips twitch slightly.

                     "I remember that." Raphael winces, trying not to smile and encourage her. It was just a gigantic visceral 'mama feed me!' blasted across heavens airwaves with the volumen and urgency only a hungry baby could convey. The confusion was almost funny, though Gabriel realizing what it was and rushing back to nurse was hillarious. Once the host got over the shock, panic and outrage, it was almost amusing the idea of Gabriel being a parent.

                     Not that she wasn't before. But this is a child that seems to be like her a great deal, and ever angel in heaven wants to see how that plays out. Apparently it's na old human curse parents place on their children. "may you one day have a child exactly like you." which frequently comes true. of course children often take after their aunts and uncles as well. Better she take after her mother than her Aunt Luci in that case. Maybe he and Michael can have a more stabalizing influence.

                      "Alright, Michele." Sam dips the spoon in the peas and places the handle in her hand. After getting half up her nose, she manages to get the rest in her mouth or on it. "Not bad, hon," but she's concentrating too hard on getting the spoon back in the jar. This expression makes her look very much like her father. Especialy with the set of her lips, little pink miniatures of his own.  When she finally gets it in she's so excited she waves her hands all over the place, spraying peas everywhere loosing the spoon again.

                      "When you see Gabriel, tell her I need to speak with her."

                      "I will," Sam fetches the spoon again. "Though I'm sure the fact you can't find her means she knows."

                      "I may need to kidnap your daughter then and use her as a hostage."

                      "How long?"

                      "Maybe the weekend. How long will you need to catch up on your sleep?"

                      "Oh, wait." Sam remembers something. "Dean and Cas were going to take her tonight, but you can have her Tomorrow or sunday if you want. this is kind of something you should check with Alex about before doing, though."

                      "That's probably true." Raphael concedes. "Thank you." Sam's relationship advice is usually far more helpful than Gabriel's. "I'll see you tomorrow, Shelly." he gives his neice, who's happily smackingher hands in the overturned peas, a kiss on the forehead, tidying her up before he leaves. A useless gesture, but he can't help it.

                       "baba, lababa."She waves her little hand, flapping the fingers up and down.

                       "Raphael." he corrects her slowly.

                       "Lababa." Is she trying and failing or is she arguing with him? It doesn't matter, he should get back to the apartment before Alex wakes. Of course, it's too late, and he finds his lover sitting on the couch in her robe, beside Lucifer who's sitting all sprawled out like he owns the place. He should have expected that Lucifer would keep knocking.

                       "Well, I was, but apparently they can know everything you know, everything about you just  by touching your skin. We both decided that giving the leviathan access to my Days of knowledge would be a bad thing. So until we figure out how to prevent that. I have to stay out of it." He's explaining why he's here, apparently. It does make sense, unfortunately.

                        "Latex gimp suit." Raphael responds. "Now get out. Why did you let him in here?" He snaps his brother back into the hall as he really doesn't trust him anywhere else.

                        "It was kind of hard not to." Alex pulls the bathrobe closer around her chest and rubs her tired eyes. "Once I opened the door she just shoved her way in."

                       "Why did you open the door?"

                        "Because someone was knocking and I was tired and Bree's renovations took the peep hole away. I didn't expect the devil to be on the other side. Where were you?" He does have to admit that the person at the door not being the devil is a fairly reasonable expectation. Especially since he was supposed to be off hunting Leviathan with Michael. He should have left a note at least.

                        "I was searching for Gabriel as I assumed she's responsible for this." he sits down beside her. "But she doesn't want to be found. So if we want to talk to her, we'll have to hold Michelle hostage."

                        "Or we can just call her cell phone." Alex reaches over to take her phone off the charger. "But if you want to take Michele for a little while we can do that." She dials, Much to his surprise Gabriel actually answers the phone. "Why would you do this to me, you brat? I thought we were freinds." Raphael goes to prepare her plate. "no, i suppose I don't expect that. God no that would be a disaster. Do you honestly expect me to be her supervisor? Me. I'm human, young and sleeping with her brother. How am I supposed to.... awww." That last long pause and sympathetic exclamation worries him more than the rest of the entire conversation. "Until the subject comes up. But do you remember what happened last time?... You really should have warned us at the very least.... No, I think it's a horrible idea, but I suppose  your options are kind of limited. What about Hela? Denny's still there. She's good for her, isn't she?... Yes, well, so does Raphael.... Maybe. And what about Nick?.... what... you know this is a sactuary for the formerly possessed."

                        "Dinner's ready." Raphael places it on the table.

                        "This conversation is not over." Alex gives a sigh. "No, I'm... we just really don't need this right now.... That's kind of my point. How often does that happen? you couldn't have let us enjoy it a little?... Look, I have to eat. I'll talk to you later. Kissy kissy." 'don't ask' she mouths as Raphael raises an eyebrow and hangs up the phone. "How did you survive days of her?"

                        "We ended up begging Dad for help. But she was bored not juggling several responsibilities, and that's an arguably worse thing for everyone involved." He sits down across from her. "What made you go 'awww.'"

                        "Nothing." She quickly fills her mouth with pasta. He just looks at her until she finishes the mouthful.  "Luci's been listening to Welcome to nightvale on a loop and trying to get sheet music for the songs for either violin or guitar." He just has to roll his eyes at this blatant attempt at curring his favor. "Spealing of which, our tickets came for the live show in december. Do you want to just pop in for it? Or do you want to make a day of it?"

                        "We'll have to see what's in the area. I need to go talk to Michael about this. I am not babysitting him and neither are you. Even asking us to would be absurd. If I leave will you let him in again?" He's fully aware how that sounded but he can't bring himself to care overly much at the moment.

                        "Probably, yes. If I don't go over to her place." She takes another bit. She did not just say that. Alex gives him a look that preempts any response he can give, daring him to say something. "You know she's all alone over there with Michael off hunting leviathan. And she has to be lonely. Gabriel's juggling heaven, the abyss and an infant. With Denny in Helheim, you three are all she has."

                        "For good reason. and don't include me in that. I'm done with him."

                        "Then be done with him. Just don't try to tell me what to do about this."

                        "I don't care if he misses me or is pretending to care or really does."

                        "Why should you?" She agrees without argument.

                        "I've done my part, and nearly killed myself doing it. I don't owe any of them anything in regards to him."

                        "No. You don't. Honestly, they owe you for that. All of them. you're always trying to clean up after them." But for some reason her words just piss him off.

                        "Stop agreeing with me!" which is probably the most unreasonable thing that's ever come out of his mouth. "I'm taking Courage for a walk. I will houe break him or die trying."

                         "I'm giving her the rest of the food then." Alex says. "You know she can't cook. And besides, a bored Bree is trouble, so what exactly would a bored Lucifer be?" Alex gets up to go get dressed abandoning her plate for now. Of course, now he doesn't want to leave.

                         It doesn't matter that Lucifer is now powerless, human and ostensiably reformed or reforming. He's stil charming, devious, manipulative and nothing but trouble. He can't leave Alex alone with him. Not that Raphael thinks he'd hurt her but he's sure to play little mind games or so something to use or manipulate her in some way and she doesn't need that. Damn Gabriel for doing this.   

                         "I'll try not to be too long." he gets the leash and takes Courage out of the play pen. He has to go soon. Hopefully they can make it to the dog park before then.    

 

                         "You wanted to talk to me?" Michael appears beside him as he watches Courage explore the area. The other dogs don't seem to like him that much. Probably because he's mostly wolf. Gabriel and her ridiculous pets.

                         "Did you know what Gabriel was going to do?" he demands, too angry for pleasantries, though he hasn't seen him in a while.

                         "What did she do?" Michael asks warily, knowing that whatever it is, can't be good.

                         "She moved Lucifer into our building and made him Alex's assistant manager." Raphael informs him. Michael just gives an exhasperated sigh and rubs the bridge of his nose.

                         "I told her not quite clearly not to involve you in this."

                         "Technically she hasn't. she just involved my lover and my apartment building. But you can see the problem I have with this." Raphael frowns as Courage starts to growl at another dog. "Courage, stand down. He has seniority and you know it."  the puppy whimpers and drops in submission. The older dog looks over to Raphael with a curious expression and decides to be generous, licking the pup and walking away. Courage trails excitedly after him.

                        "I can. I'll talk to her and try to work something else out. You've done more than enough already.  He's not your responsibility." Though again, the reasonable agreeability is making him feel oddly out of sorts. "I can't say i didn't wish you two would reconcile. It's worse knowing that you two can and have gotten along now, and seemed to even enjoy each others company. What's worse is that I missed all of it."  Michael sighs. He was dead for pretty much the entire time in all creation that Raphael and Lucifer actually got along together. He doesn't like thinking of that brief period when he let his guard down.

                        "You didn't miss anything worth anything." Raphael insists, though he only just believes it himself. "Don't worry about Lucifer. You love him enough for the both of us, I'm sure." He looks away as that was probably a bit too far.

                        "I know you don't approve of my relationship with him." Michael says softly, almost mournfully.

                        "It's not my place to approve or disapprove of anything you do."  Michael just gives him that look that says 'really? that's what you're going with?' "I really don't see this ending well."

                        "It's not going to end." Michael says with a naive simplicity that Raphael refuses to believe is as genuine as it sounds. "Who else could ever be enough for either of us?" Which is unfortunately the truest most depressing thing he's ever heard.

                        "He's not going to be faithful."

                        "Probably not. He's not the best at self denial." The rise in ambient temperature belies the calm way he says this. "Granted I feel sorry for anyone he sets his sights on."

                         "Likewise." Another comment that's not appreciated. "I could conceivably help with that." Raphael gives a small smile. Michael tries not to laugh, barely managing it.

                         "That's not necessary. I don't like that you aren't speaking but I'd like a war even less. But I do worry that he might start using again so if you could keep an eye out for that, I'd greatly appreciate it."

                         "I don't see why he would. He's perfectly capable of altering reality to suit himself on his own." He knows that's unfair as Lucifer has had to face more reality than he has in a very long time. He should know, he's the one who forced him to. But he refuses to start caring what he does. He's human, he's free to do whatever he likes to himself no matter what it does to him. Raphael looks for the puppy who's running with a few other small dogs, some husky pups. "Besides it was just one time to get through surgery. He didn't give into temptation when he was locked in the white room, did he?"

                         "Not exactly." Michael says quietly. "He had to make a deal to get Meli to you. Crowley wanted him compliant." Raphael knows that Michael wants him to ask, but he refuses. No one asked him to pull Meli into that mess in the first place. Even if it does look more and more like the spirit was key to most of the trouble with the Aztecs to begin with. It doesn't matter, though. He betrayed her first.

                         "How is the hunt going?"

                         "Difficult. They're actually blending in fairly well. and not eating many humans. Or at least that anyone pays attention to. I was planning on coming back tonight to consult with Helel. since you temporarily share a building I thought we could do something together once they're asleep." He just has to use that name doesn't he?

                          "I suppose we could do something. I have no idea what we would do, though." It's kind of an odd suggestion. What would he and Michael do together? usually when they do things,it's with Gabriel dragging everyone to some event or another. Most of what they do is work in some way or backing each other up on a task, or training. The last recreational thing they really did together was start to teach Michael how to swim and that was only because he didn't trust Lucifer enough to do it. They can't really do that now. Water tends to flee before Michael, evaporating before it can touch him, even in a vessel.

                          "I'm not sure either. Though there is a meteor shower a few galaxies over if you wanted to go play hide and seek." Michael's suggestion takes him by surprise.

                          "We haven't done that since the first days. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

                          "Since I doubt Gabriel's willing to risk your wrath and join us, I don't see why it shouldn't be." Michael shrugs.

                          "It's absurdly childish." though Raphael can't help but smile at the thought. This comment just gets another shrug. He always used to take Raphael out there to play when their siblings were getting on his last nerve. Before he learned to just ignore Lucifer and not to ignore Gabriel. Especially when she said she was bored.

                          "It should be even better now that we can get even smaller." Michael adds. That's right. In their vessels they're downright microscopic. They could even hide inside them this time.

                           "It sounds like fun." he confesses despite the inherent lack of dignity.

                           "I'll come over when Helel's asleep." Michael pats his arm and just walks out of the dog park. Raphael wonders why he doesn't just fly until he notices half the female patrons and not a few male watching him leave. It's nothing ominous. He's just very attractive and is also wearing only jeans and a t shirt in the middle of november in south dakota.

                           "New neighbor?" Mrs. Elk asks as he goes over to drag courage away from the dead bird he's investigating.

                           "No, that's my brother, Michael." he replies, though in truth, if Lucifer lives in the building now, he probably would be his neighbor. Small blessings.  Mrs. Elk tries to conceal her surprise at this statement.  Raphael's body is not even partly caucasian.  Though the looser curls of his hair show he has some sort of multiracial heritage, it's a mix of south african and peruvian native, inca stock more precisely. Michael is very white even though he has dark hair and hazel eyes. "We share a father." the most honest statement is also the most readily accepted one. In truth their vessels aren't physically related at all. the fact it means he's not a Winchester is the biggest consolation of a conceit that's foolish to begin with.

                          "Is he single?" She's always on the prowl for eligible men for her plain but sweet daughter.  Not that Ellie has any trouble getting men on her own, she just doesn't let her mother know that.

                          "Unfortunately not." Though even Ellie would be an improvement.

                          "Who's he dating?"

                          "The devil."

                          "Oh, I'm sure she's not that bad." She recovers quickly. "You did fairly well for yourself. Mrs. Jones is a darling. Do you have any other brothers?"

                          "No. Just a sister. She's married. They just had a baby on Valentine's day. Her name is Michele. Would you like to see a picture?" The best thing about having an infant niece is that it's a good way to either derail an unwanted conversation or change it completely. If you do it enough times, people even stop trying to talk to you at all. He doubt it would work with an army recruiter, though, or he'd gladly try it.

                          "She is adorable." the woman lies convincingly. not that she isn't but photographs rarely seem to capture the full extent of her cuteness. "Awww. she's going to be such a... uhhh." she stops scrolling with a bit of a deer in the headlight look. She must have scrolled too far.

                          "She was in a small art film." he hastily says taking his phone back. "My sister, Gabrielle."

                          "I... I see." But she beats a hasty retreat. He doesn't blame her. A very pregnant woman in nothing but avengers underoos and a feathere's cape on all fours with a knife in one hand, a human hard in the other one, which is also bloody up to the elbow, and holding a human head in her teeth by the hair is a bit of a disturbing image to come across after pictures of a baby. Granted Michele is technically in this one as well. And those designated the naughty bits are covered or blocked by her arms, but still.

                           Plus the blood and the clear fact that her right leg is amputated just above the knee just adds to the shock factor. Granted her short wildly messy curls and almost feral expression don't help either. He had it blown up into a poster with the word COYOTE blazing across the top and a little howling cartoon coyote on the bottom corner. It's going to be Sam's christmas gift. And Thors as Michael had him print out a copy for him when he found out.

                        Actually he might offer it on his website, if Krissy allows it. It is her picture after all. He should ask her. He knows she could use the money. Maybe then Gabriel will think twice before pulling crap like this again.


	3. In-law, outlaw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex accepts the inevitable with grace and dignity and takes Luci as her assistant.

            Alex reluctantly walks across the hall and knocks on the door. She knows Luci's there because she can hear the violin, but apparently she's finishing the song before answering the door.

             "Oh, it's you." the girl doesn't bother to hide her disappointment.

             "Are you hungry? Come eat." Alex turns and walks back to her apartment. If Luci won't waste time on pleasantries, she won't either.

             "Is Raphael alright with that?" Luci asks, following her over.

             "No. He's out with Courage for a walk. Probably to the dog park." The slight chuckle this gets Luci shows that she was at the very least actually listening to the podcasts. "So how have you been?"

              "Bored. Awaiting the new terms of my probation. Apparenlty my other siblings get to be involved with that. How about you? How was New York?"

               "Wonderful. We say almost every play and concert they had there. Or at least that's what it felt like. And the museums, and galleries. I don't think even a year would have been enough to see it all." Alex smiles whistfully. She loved New York City though the crowds tended to get to Raphael.

                "I can't believe he went to New York. With that population density, he must have been going out of his mind." Luci frowns. Alex refrains from informing her that they mostly delt with that by holding hands. It helped because she was so excited and happy most of the time and the direct contact blocked out the other input, or at least made it ignorable. Being able to know the health of every person around you and the feelings physical and emotional of every one that touches you, could be a bit of a strain in such highly populated areas, but Raphael dealt with it well.  Usually once they got inside it was much more bearable. Especially the Galleries. "I'm surprised you didn't just stay in the hotel room all the time." She teases. Alex just smiles and sits back down. "So I take it Gabriel didn't discuss this whole deal with either of you." Alex is surprised at the change of subject but Luci frequently does surprise her.

                "No. And honestly it's a bit of a problem."

                "Because of Raphael."Luci sits down at the plate Alex set out for her.

                "Because of Nick." She corrects her.

                "Nick?" Luci looks a bit taken aback.

                "He's our contractor and is also heading the group for the dispossessed. Raphael is more than capable of handling your presence, but I doubt Nick will ever be. Not that any of you care about him at all." Alex sounds a bit more testy than she intends.

                 "I care." Luci takes a bite of pasta and just sits quietly as if actually contemplating the problem. So Alex just eats as well. Just sitting at home for a quiet evening of having dinner with the devil. How is this her life? "I'll just make sure not to be around when he's here. Give me his schedule, I'll make myself scarce."

                 "You know that won't be enough."

                  "I know. But there isn't much I really can do. He knows me too well. I can push his buttons, sure, but beyond that..." Alex isn't sure she's just talking about Nick. She has that same blank, almost bored affect she got the first time they met, when she brought up gabriel's funeral. "So you can cook. It's too bad  Raphael can't appreciate that anymore."

                   "Actually, I can't. At all. Raphael does. Honestly I don't even want to go to restaurants anymore. Or at least not for a long time. He may not be able to taste it but he does his research and makes the presentation absolutely gorgeous. By the time we left for vacation I'd become one of those people who takes pictures of their meals and posts it online just to show it off. He gets positively artistic about it."

                   "And to rub in that you're getting spoiled rotten." Luci smirks.

                   "You'd better believe it." She toasts her with the wine glass. She's gone from meals of ramen and crystal light to gourmet meals paired with very high quality wine. She'd feel guilty if she didn't know he was living vicariously through her. She's added a few pounds too, but he says that she's just healthier now. He's the kind that would say otherwise, though not in a judgemental way, just in a too honest for everyone's good kind of way. "If my heaven consisted of nothing but these past several months over and over again, I'd be in bliss for all eternity."

                   "I made a few hells like that for people who thought something similar." Luci takes a drink. "You'll get over that."

                   "Maybe. But I'll still have had it." She sighs, smiling at the not so distant memories.

                   "It's novelty. Novelty wears off. What was once fresh and new gets old and boring was too fast." Luci says almost regretfully.

                   "Trouble in paradise?" Her ill thought out comment gets her a dark look from the dark princess.

                   "No." The rest of the meal is finished in an irritated silence. There's a distinctive knock on the door, Michael's heavy handed policemans knock.

                   "It's open." She calls to him.

                   "You really shouldn't have the door unlocked. It's not safe. "The over protective one scolds her as he enters.

                   "I'm having dinner with Satan. I think safety is a moot issue at this point. Hows tricks?" Alex grins back at him. He's not overly pleased by the comment, but Luci's smiling so he lets it go.

                    "I'm having some difficulty with tracking. I actually come to consult with Helel about it, but if you two are busy it can wait."

                    "Did you know Raphael could cook like this?" Lucy asks him.

                    "He cooked everything after Gabriel left, you know that." Michael says it like it's supposed to be an answer, but Alex knows it was mostly raw foods and simple healthy pairings.

                     "That wasn't cooking. Well, maybe breakfast was, but not like this." Luci takes a piece of bruschetta from the center of the table.

                     "Well, he was angry with both of us then." Michael grabs a few honey sticks and sits down at the table.

                     "Actually he mostly got into serious cuisine the few weeks before he got his grace back and just kept on with it. We must have watched every episode of good eats before we left for vacation. I bought him the cookbooks for Christmas." Alex informs them. "So if you see him about to buy them, talk him out of it."

                     "Awww. You're exchanging gifts for the solstice," Luci says almost mockingly, making her realize that she said that to the worst possible person in the world. "Isn't that sweet? Will you be caroling and building snowmen, killing trees, making merry and kissing under the mistletoe?"

                     "We damn well better."

                     "I'm going to be talking to Gabriel about different arrangements as soon as I find her, Helel, so don't get too comfortable in the apartment." Michael informs his... actually Alex really doesn't know what to call it, and doesn't want to think too hard about it either. His darling, his beloved, his sibling. Alex just reaches for the wine again.

                     That was not a fun conversation. Especially since she heard all about it from Raphael, who being upset just said it in the bluntest way possible when she asked why he felt Michael wasn't on his side with the whole not wanting to have anything to do with his brother thing. 'Because they're lovers.' Well maybe it wasn't the bluntest way, or not the crudest way at least.

                      And yes, she does understand that angels are not a reproductive species and their vessels\ bodies aren't really related even close to that closely genetically. though they easily could have been given who their vessels where supposed to be. Granted that was for the end goal of killing each other. Ironically, Thor and jormungandr found themselves in a similar situation, but they're norsemen and seem to have three basic modes, feeding, fighting and frolicking. But still, it's Lucifer. It's kind of hard to see it ending well.

                      You never know, though. The love of a good man or woman or whatever the hell Michael is. Raphael says female, but Michael says it's all nonsense because angels don't have genders in the first place. And his vessel is male. But Raphael's was female and he was still clearly masculine, even then. And Bree's been a lot of things. Of course the three of Michael's siblings do refer to him as her or big sister a lot. Bree and Raphael even got him a mother's day card, she thinks. She's not sure it was really a joke either. He didn't mention anything about it either way.

                       "I picked up some more wine." Raphael declares as he opens the door.

                       "Oh thank god." she exclaims despite herself, relieved he's back to break the awkwardness. Of course now she's just committed blasphemy in a room full of archangels. And from luci's laughter it must have sounded as if she was desperate for more wine. Though the feelings are surprisingly similar.

                       Courage immediately starts barking and growling towards the table. Probably at Luci. A look from Michael quiets him down though and he makes his way over to Alex, his tail between his legs. A low growl still emerges from under the table though from where he's draped himself protectively over Alex's foot.

                        "Stupid dog." Raphael mutters, making Alex laugh at his fairly obscure joke that she's certain no one else in the room got.

                        "This meal is delicious." Luci says taking another bite. Raphael just ignores her and puts the wine away.

                        "I'll be going out tonight." He informs Alex. "So if you wake and I'm not there, don't be alarmed. If there's trouble call for Castiel. I'll be a bit too far away to respond as quickly as you might need without exhausting myself too much to do any good when I got here."

                        "Is everything okay?" She squelches her curiosity about where that could possibly be.

                         "Yes. Michael and I are just going to be stretching our wings a bit.

                         "You two have fun."

                         "Well, we should probably go brainstorm then." Luci picks up the plate and a few more pieces of bruschetta and heads to the door. "Thanks for dinner."

                         "Yes, thank you." Michael nods to Alex and follows suit,

                         "Everything alright?" Raphael asks when they're gone.

                         "It's fine. I just feel incredibly awkward about those two being a couple, and I feel kind of bad about that,too." she confesses.

                         "I understand completely." He comes back over to give her a comforting kiss. "I felt the same way about Sam and Gabriel. though I certainly don't feel bad about that."

                         "What? You.. them? And not this?" Is her less than articulate reply. "How can you find Sam and Bree more disturbing than Michael and Lucifer?"

                         "I didn't say that exactly. But like Adam and Eve, Michael and Lucifer were made for each other. Lucifer ruined everything, of course, but it was far less surprising than it should have been. Did you enjoy your dinner?"

                          "Always. That was the only bad thing about New York, not getting to eat your cooking."

                          "You should have said something. I'd have upgraded to a suite with a kitchen."

                          "Do you really expect me to complain about eating at the best restaurant every night and the homiest little shops by day?" Alex takes her plate to the kitchen sink. "Besides you know you wanted to see what all the chefs in New York were doing. I just like your cooking the best, that's all." She slips her arm around him as he brings the other wine glass over.

                          "Thank you." He gives her a kiss.

                          "No, Thank you." Alex is perfectly aware of how absolutely disgustingly sickeningly infatuated with each other they are right now, but it's really hard to think of that with anything short of a giddy satisfaction. Especially when they get the inevitable odd looks. All she can think is screw you, my lover is the most divine creature in existence. Literally. You can't get more divine than an archangel and the Healer of God at that.

 

                          "Good morning."   Alex raps merrily on the door across the hall. Luci eventually slowly opens it. Her hair is a mess and she's wearing a blue and purple plaid shirt that's too big for her and red flame boxers. "I brought some coffee and your brother made a large danish before he left." She holds up the plate. Lucy just silently steps aside and lets her enter.

                          The apartment is exceedingly bare with just a card table and chairs. And of course, Michael's chair from the cottage. Lucy plops down in one of the chairs in that loose way she has that ends up taking up over three times as much space as she reasonably should.

                          "You're a morning person. Weren't you raised by vampires?" Luci squints at her. 

                          "Raphael helped me reset my internal clock that last week in New York when we focused on museums. Normally I'm as out of it as you are right now." She hands her the large caramel apple lattee. "How'd the planning session go?"

                           "Decent. He's consulting with the inlaws about some of the Leviathan remains. I think they buried a few heads.  When he gets them I can use them to make a few tracking spells. We all know how your evening went." She gives a sudden grin and brings the coffee to her lips. Alex is breifly confused for a moment before following Luci's eyes up and over to the vents.

                          "Oh my god!" She covers her mouth, mortified.

                          "I'm fairly sure he heard, too."

                          "Oh my god." She is never going to be able to face Michael again.

                          "Congratulations by the way on avoiding that particular exclamation in bed. It's kind of a mood killer having someone call out your father's name." She's as bad as Bree.

                          "Did you listen to the whole thing?"

                          "No. Michael, that spoil sport, blocked the sound as soon as he realized what was going on. But that was fine as I'd already caught the matinee."  Noooooo. Alex feels like she wants to just sink into the floor.   "Ah, Michael. He's so bashful it's ridiculous. I'm trying to break him of that." Of course that just draws into focus a couple bit marks on her neck and chest as well as some finger shaped bruises on her thigh that evoke a familiar position, maybe. "So, I assume you came here for a reason other than to gawk at my little love trophies."

                          "No. Yes. I mean I'm not..." Alex takes a breath. She's just being a pain in the ass. That's all. "Michael and Raphael may be able to pretend that they can get Gabriel to change her mind, but I know better and so do you I'm sure, so we'll be looking over the building today and working out our respective duties."

                         "Our respective duties? I'm your assistant, aren't I? I assist you. My duties are what you say they are. I've seen entourage."

                         "I think we both know better than that, too. You have more management experience than I do to say the least." Alex takes a peice of Danish. Oh, fresh is so much better than store bought. It's just ridiculous.

                         "True. But Gabriel wants me as your assistant. And I do need to learn to take a more... supportive role in things, so lead away, mon capitan." She generously waves the leadership role her way. Well that's not going to be a big fucking mine field at all. "Is there a dress code?"

                          "Not on a general basis, no. We should probably get name tags or something, though."

                          "Alright, let me dress." Lucy gets up and walks into the other room, stripping as she goes, danish in her mouth. this reveals a set of bruises on her bakc and shoulder. Definitely the same position she was thinking of. Lucy catches her staring and sees the recognition in her eyes, because of course she would. "One of Solomon's favorites. In his younger, more athletic days. Now that was a man who knew how to live." She winks. And now she'll never be able to do that one again. "It's so funny." The evil one continues. "This last month Michael's been all sulky because Raphael made it clear that no one was to bother the two of you on threat of unimaginable pain, unless it was a matter of life and death. Mama's little boy is finally cutting the apron strings and michael's getting hit by empty nest syndrome. He's even been talking about adopting a baby one day. It's a little frightening." Alex doesn't dare agree. "I'm not getting anything whos waste I'd have to clean. Certainly not some naked little ape baby. He must have lost his mind."

                          "Maybe you can adopt a teenager, start saving potentially lost souls instead of leading them astray."

                          "Sure, let me get right on that. I'll be officially eighteen in a little less than a year. " She rolls her eyes, definitely getting the part of rebellious teenager down. Of course all that sass may just be Lucifer. "I have no use for children."

                          "You love Shelly." Alex reminds her.

                          "Shelly is my neice, infused with the grace of my favorite song. She's not to be compared with those other creatures."

                           "Your favorite song?" Alex decides to ignore the other comments. She's probably just being baited anyway.

                           "It's sweeter in enochian."

                           "It sounds pretty sweet in english, too."  Alex muses. "My favorite song."

                           "I wouldn't say it to Raphael though. It's... more a term of affection from an older to younger angel, with a sort of parental relationship. It'd be like saying you think of him as your own child. Which, I dunno, you might be into that sort of thing, but I doubt he would be."

                            "It's too bad about the meaning. It seems so poetic."

                            "I could teach you the song of solomon in Enochian. Granted Raphael was already using most of the good bits earlier, that smooth little fucker." Lucy offers. He quotes the song of solomon in bed? She was afraid to ask in case it was something less romantic. Now she's curious but there's no way she could ask someone about that.

                           "Even if I trusted you, the fact that you taught me would ruin the book for him forever."

                           "You could as Gabriel then." Luci suggests.

                           "I don't trust her either." It's the sad truth, but she knows her far to well to think that she wouldn't use the opportunity to screw with her and Raphael. Alex nearly chokes on her coffee when Luci walks out in a black 'satan' belly shirt with a pentagram collar and a spiked choker, her hair in a messy chopstick held updo.

                          "It's my favorite shirt." She grins. Alex had heard about that shirt. She traded the pink sports bra she was wearing for it at her first meeting with Denny. "Plus this way I don't need a name tag."

                          "Why the hell not." Of course it's the bright pink bubble yum that she blows into an enormous bubble that makes Alex crack a smile. "Lets start up top and work out way down so we can go grab lunch."

                           "Bring Courage, he shouldn't be cooped up all day. He's a wolf, they need space to roam. Besides they're social creatures. Being locked up along all day is just cruel." she suggests with surprising compassion.

                           "Alright." Alex heads back over and gets his leash. "Courage, c'mon." she pats her leg. "Go for a walk?" he races back out to the living room, toilet paper stuck to his mouth and paw. Of course. "You dog, you." she hooks up the leash and picks off the paper. He starts to growl again.

                           "That's enough, dog." Luci walks over and crouches down in front of him, her arms resting on her knees.  "We need to come to an understanding.  I know Mommy's afraid of me and Daddy doesn't like me, but I'm the top dog here, Capise?" she takes him by the jaw and looks him in the eyes. "And I don't want to hear any more lip from you." Alex wants to protest that she's not afraid of her, but that would probably offend her. Besides which, if she has to be honest, that's not entirely true. "That's right." Lucy coos, her voice that soft seductive tone that always takes Alex by surprise when she uses it. Courage gives a whimper and lies down. "There's a good boy. Yes, you's a good boy." she scoops him up and rubs his belly until he's happily limp in her arms, the little traitor.


	4. Satan, Little Helper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci gets a tour of the building, runs into an old freind.

                "You're sure you're okay with the elevator?" Alex asks as Lucy's face goes a bit pale at the small space.

                "I'm fine." She strides in pretending she's not white as a sheet. Courage reluctantly follows. It's a short trip up to the roof, and as soon as the doors open, both Lucy and the pup bolt out onto the roof. The greenhouse is enormous taking up all but a think walkway around it and a small patio in the front near the elevator.  The plants inside are already ridiculously green for such a cool fall day, with cold winds deepening the chill almost to freezing. They hurry into the greenhouse as the wind starts to blow harder. There'll be snow soon. Honestly, it was long overdue. It's almost thanksgiving.

                 "Hey, there, courage." Alex hears from the far end. Oh, no.

                 "You'd better go back." she says quietly.

                 "Too late." Luci comments as Nick stands up, dusting off his hands. "Hi,  Nick. Long time no see." he just freezes, looking breifly to Alex before looking behind her to Lucy, who rests her chin on Alex's shoulder.

                 "Go back down. I'll show you the greenhouse later." Alex says softly. Lucy straightens up and leaves without a word of protest.

                 "What is he doing here?" Nick manages, his shock turning into anger.

                 "Her sister dumped her here to be my assistant manager for the shelter.  Nobody was consulted. I'm not really sure what to do about it. I didn't expect you to be here today or I would have warned you."

                  "The mushroom kits came in early." he nods down to the trays and drawers he's installing under the raised beds. "Why would she do this?"

                  "Because she wants her siblings to kiss and make up? Because there's no other good place for her to go right now? Because she's a pain in the ass trickster and thinks it's funny? All of the above. Look, we can find another contractor and... I'll just... make sure she's somewhere else for the support group." Alex reassures him. Nick's jaw sets.

                  "I won't let him run me off. This is my life. My town. When you need work done, you call me, understand? And be careful with him, Alex. He sees through people to their deepest core and plays them like a fiddle. I saw it over and over and over again. You can't trust him."

                  "I don't." Alex reassures him. He looks down at the remaining boxes at his feet. "She is trying to make amends, though."

                  "He can't." Is the short, harsh, truthful reply.

                  "She can try. That's all any of us can do. Every sinner has a future, every saint, a past. Remember?" Alex brushes back her hair.

                  "You'd better go find him. It's not good to leave him alone.  His mind tends to go very dark." Nick kneels back down. "You can come back up in a few hours. I should be done by then."

                   "Thank you. And if you need to talk about this, you do have my number. C'mon. Courage." Alex pats her leg, but he doesn't want to come.

                   "Leave him. I'll let him back into your apartment when I'm done." And since Nick probably needs a puppy right no, Alex just nods and hangs the leash on a hook near the door.

                    "Give Jody my love. I'll stop by to see her this evening if I can get Raphael to keep an eye on Luci, which is unlikely."

                     "I will."

                     When she walks back out, Lucy's standing in front of the elevator, arms hugged to her chest, softly singing that love song, the one from the godfather that brought tears to Alex's eyes when she heard her play it on the violin. Lucy's voice isn't quite as good as Bree's accapella, but the personality behind it is inescapable.

                      "You didn't have to wait for me." Alex starts before remembering that the stairs are locked. Offered a choice between standing in the cold and entering a small elevator alone, she must have preferred the cold.

                      Though she could have gone back in the greenhouse. The selfish manipulative creature she once was probably would have and just charmed one or both of them into accepting her presence. Or is it a move designed to garnery sympathy? It's impossible to tell if anything is really sincere, even though so far it seems to be. Alex just takes out her keys and opens the stairwell door.

                      "Where's courage?"

                      "Romping with nick. He needed some attention so..." Alex shrugs, leaving it open to interpretation whether he was talking about Nick or the dog. " He'll drop him off in the apartment later."

                       "He looks good." Lucy comments in an almost envious tone.

                       "So do you." Alex reassures her almost automatically. She remembers Lucy's comment about disliking her vessel, missing when she was using Nick. It's odd to think of Nick moving and speaking and behaving as Lucifer. She can only imagine the effect would be devestating.  Bree can't even bring herself to meet him. Though that is understandable, Lucy was wearing Nick when she killed her sister.

                       The first step is to check on Jonah. He's been having a hard time.  Nick's been checking in on him and Bethany frequently this past month even in the hotel they were put up in. And Claire and Krissy both made a point to stop by.

                       "Alex." Jonah smiles, giving her a hug as soon as he opens the door. "Welcome back. How was the honeymoon?"

                       "It wasn't.."She starts before giving up and patting his back. "Good, thanks. I'm glad to be back."

                       "Where's your husband?" He looks around the hall.

                       "Probably still out with his brother. Um, Jonah? This is my sister-in-law Lucy." She introduces her as tactfully as she can. Best not to bring up the whole, she's the king of hell thing right now.

                       "I'm the devil." And of course she would say right off with a cheery grin. Jonah looses his smile and lets go of Alex.

                       "Listen young lady, demons and the like are no joking matter." he starts angrily.

                        "I know. I created them." Luci blows a large pink bubble and waggles her eyebrows at the man.

                      "Lucy is, um, short for Lucifer. She is the actual devil." Alex sighs, resigned to the chaos. Lucy times the 'pop' almost exactly with Jonah's stricken expression. "She's reformed, reforming. And human now. No powers."

                       "I'm on probation." her chipper tone is starting to irritate Alex just a teensy bit.

                       "Bree decided to make her my assistant manager for the shelter. Have her start her reparations by helping some of the victims of her former subjects. I was going to ease everybody into this, but..." Alex gives Lucy a meaningful hopefully, reproachful look that has absolutely no effect on her at all. Not that she thought it would.

                        "Wouldn't have worked. The longer you lie to someone the more betrayed they feel when they find out. Look at what happened every time with Gabriel." She shakes her head. "Obviously I have a lot to make up for, and I hope to start with you. So if you need anything, just let me know. Wards, sigils, self defense, violin lessons."

                         "Violin?" Jonah sounds intrigued despite himself.

                          "Or guitar." She adds, "Though you'll need your own guitar to practice on. I can also teach you pretty much everything you need to know about demons in general."

                          "You.." Jonah looks back at Alex a bit warily. "That sounds too good to be true."

                         "Well, none of it's easy, mind you. I didn't want just any jackass taking them down, but it can be done." She reassures him.

                         "We'll see about setting up classes and getting independent verification for each item taught. It's to be expected that people might be a little leery of trusting the devil." Alex adds as hope, fear, and skepticism war across his face. "I'm showing her the shelter right now. I'll come back to see you later. Is Bethany in? Do you know?"

                         "I don't though she was last evening as far as i can tell. She's been hitting the ganga a little heavy since nick turned her down though, so I wouldn't expect much from her." Jonah frowns in disapproval.

                         "Oh, wonderful." Alex sighs, rolling her eyes. While Jonah's response to getting his body back is a tendacy to ascetic isolation, Bethany's has been to go all free love, flower child party girl. Bree of course was all for it, but it's starting to cause problems, apparently. And it's not a healthy way to deal with the greif of loosing everyone you cared about either. Her brother died in vietnam, her father, too. And her mother committed suicide not long after.

                        Sure enough, the scent of what is not just patchouli fills the second floor. Alex knocks on the door.

                        "I know we talked about this Bethany. We put in a smoking lounge. It's done now, use it. For whatever you're smoking we don't care."

                        "Oh, get off my back, man." She groans opening the door, a loose silk robe on over nothing, showing almost everything. "Alex! Oh, you're back. How was the honeymoon?" She also insists on a very crushing full bodied hug and doesn't bother to close the robe first. She can hear Luci snicker at her discomfort.

                         "Wonderful, thanks." Alex responds a bit more stiffly than she intended.

                          "I know, you're just glowing." she waves a hand in front of Alex's face as if motioning to her aura or something. "Come in, come in, tell me all about it. I bet he's just the most amazing shag."

                          "Sure sounded that way yesterday afternoon and evening." Luci adds helpfully, the little shit.

                          "That was you? I thought Jonah'd finally loosened his laces a little. The uptight ones can be just crazy, huh?" Bethany elbows her and heads back in the apartment. Apparently the sound wasn't perfectly transmitted down here, just enough to be ridiculously embarrassing. How the hell can the sound travel that damn far at all? That better not have been one of Bree's pranks.

                          "Um, Bethany."Alex tries to gather herself and take back the conversation. "I'm just showing the assistant manager around. This is Luci, she's my sister in law."

                          "I'm the devil."

                          "Huh." Bethany turns back and appraises her. "Nick was a better look on you."

                          "That's right. I know you. A crossroads demon had you, right? She has you dressed up in a suit." Luci laughs. "Not the best look for you."

                          "And celibate too. Alex, why are you working with the Devil?" she must be stoned out of her gourd because she's so underwhelmed by the revelation.

                          "Because my other sister in law is a scheming brat with a too extensive sense of humor and no sense of boundries." Alex replies flatly.

                          "That's my little girl." Luci says fondly.

                          "So... are you evil now? Because, you know that's, like, way bad karma." Bethany lights some more incense, which really just builds on it all.

                          "No. Lucy's reforming. She's on probation. It's... it's complicated. Where did you get all this?" Alex looks to the rather nice, retro decorations. "Did you get a job?"

                          "I got a freind." She winks. "He's nice, human, doesn't care a bit about my soul."

                          "That's not necessarily a good thing." Alex reminds her.

                          "He's also very generous." Bethany gives a proud smile.

                          "So you're a prostitute." Lucy walks in and appraises the room. "Nice place."

                          "We share what we have. And all I have right now if my body. Don't be so judgemental." Bethany walks into the kitchenette. "I heard you sold yourself a few times."

                          "You heard wrong." Lucy's voice is very soft, very low and very cold.

                          "You didn't trade yourself to Crowley? They were all talking about it. They weren't sure who to laugh at, you or him." Alex desperately searches for a way to end this conversation but draws a blank.

                          "Well, seeing as I have what I wanted and his throne and kingdom is in ruins around him, the jokes on all of them isn't it?" Luci recovers herself fairly smoothly and heads off down the hall. "I'm going to the little girls room. I'll be back."

                          "She could have used mine." Bethany pours herself some tea. Do you want some?

                          "No, thank you. But please, if you're smoking it, stick to the smoking room. Anyone asthmatic or with breathing problems wouldn't be able to come on this floor and that's a problem."

                          "Alright." Bethany sighs, rolling her eyes. "You know, she could really use a joint. Here, give her one for me."

                          "No, that's..." Alex waves her offer away. "No, thank you. But I'll tell her you offered. I'd better..." she points to the hall and closes the door behind her on the way out. Luci actually did go all the way back to her own apartment it seems, leaving the door ajar. She may have even actually had to use it.

                          "I miss Nick." Luci emerges from the bathroom. "People respected Nick. All you had to do was just... be there and there was never any question of who was on top. Granted I had my grace then as well, but even people who couldn't tell deferred to me. Nobody respects this." She waves to her body.

                          "Nick got respect he didn't have to earn. You don't. You probably get more and less than you deserve at times yourself. That's life. You'd think you'd be used to it by now." Alex shrugs. "The system's unfair and you're not at the top of it anymore. But you're still white, educated or sound like it, pretty, your family has money and influence even if you personally don't. You're still fairly ahead of the game."

                           "I'm very well aware of the vaguaries of social inequality and my current position in the hierarchy, thank you." Her reply is frosty. As if Alex is an idiot for trying to talk to her about anything remotely social or political. She probably is.

                           "It's okay to be upset, Luci. or... lucifer. Do you prefer Lucifer or Helel? I know Michael calls you that now and Raphael did for a while." She asks.

                           "I hate both of them. Just stick with Luci."

                           "Okay."

                           "Don't try to psychoanalyze me, 'sister'. You're out of your league." Luci grabs another peice of danish from the card table.

                           "I'm not. I'm just trying to make you feel better." Alex pulls her hands in her sleeves and hugs her arms to herself.

                           "Why?"

                           "You seem sad. It's what I do." She shrugs. "I know what you did for all of them. what you went through and it's okay if it affect you or upsets you any. It doesn't make you weak. It just makes you human." Luci just rolls her eyes at this and finishes her bite.

                            "Being human is being weak."

                          "If that's what you want to believe, but a human being still managed to take you down before." Alex lets her irritation get the better of her. Fuck.

                           "We could go at this all day, Mrs. Jones." Luci walks back over standing uncomfortably close to Alex's. "And we'd never see the rest of the shelter. So, shall we?"

 

                         Alex is back in her apartment long before Nick brings Courage back down. Raphael's still out so she just ordered some pizza. That was something they haven't indulged in for a while, either. Luci said she didn't feel like eating, so she just went back to her apartment. She's probably still more put out by Bethany and Alex's comments than she wants to admit.

                         "Hey, sorry I kept him so long. He made a bit of a mess." Nick walks over to hand her the leash,

                         "No, prob. Want some pizza?" she nudges the box over towards him. Courage is at her feet in an instant. "Not you, you brat. Daddy made you some good stuff in the bowl. Actually game meat I think." She almost doesn't catch that she called Raphael, daddy to their dog. Damn Lucifer. She is not becoming one of those kinds of pet owners. Of course, Courage is not as enthusiastic about his gourmet meals as she is. But maybe he just wants a pizza break every now and then too.

                         "Sure." Nick takes a slice and leans against the island. "How are you doing?"

                          "Fine. Tired. No idea what I'm doing. In way over my head. The usual." Alex shrugs, taking a bite of her triple extra cheese pizza.

                          "I really don't like you being alone with him. I don't think Jody will like it either." He gets all paternal on her.

                          "I'm a big girl. I can make my own bad decisions thank you. But relax. I won't hand her my soul or anything. Promise." Alex crosses her heart.

                         " Don't let them strong arm you into doing things you're not comfortable doing. He is not your responsibility and no human being should be asked to take this on. You're still so young..."He trails off, looking at her in such a sad fatherly manner. She definitely knows what Lucy means about getting no respect. It's bad enough being treated like a child when you actually are one or close enough to it. Lucy's the second oldest created being. It must be infuriating being just constantly dismissed like that.

                          "It is what it is, Nick. All I can do is my best."

                          "That's a healthy attitude." he smiles, probably a bit more patronizing than he means to be.

                          "I knew all about Raphael and his family when I became involved with him. Hell, I was involved with them first. I know you don't believe she's sincere about changing, but I honestly do. It doesn't mean I trust her, or think she can't or won't backslide a little, but I do think she's trying. She's human now, and change is easier for us. Comparatively. She's already changed alot. Maybe it's all a lie, i dunno. But what if it's not? She wasn't created evil. And she loves her family. They love her, too."

                          "That's not always enough, even for humans." Nick points out, a bit unhelpfully, though realistically.

                          "I know, but heaven and the angels are on our side. We will destroy the devil, just not exactly how they expected it to be done." Alex grins.

                          "I'll eat to that." they toast each other with the pizza slices.

                          "To be fair though, I really think Raphael already did. I think Luci is just struggling to find herself among the wreckage of who she was and I'm going to try to help her if I can, since she's here. I probably can't. I don't know her like her siblings do, or even like you and Sam do, but that may not be a bad thing. Less personal history getting in the way."

                          "Just be careful, Alex. And if there's anything I can do." he offers, generous as always.

                          "Well, I'll need to find ways to keep her busy that won't impede her moral growth. Aside from her assistant duties. I will be going back to school next semester, too. Raphael is as well, though even if he wasn't, he's done with her in general and wouldn't be any help."

                          "You want ideas." Nick starts to grin. "I could actually think of a few things I'd like to make that bastard do."

                          "Constructive things that would do good for humanity no matter what she does or doesnt get out of it. That sort of thing." Alex clarifies. "Morally unambiguous."

                          "Of course. I'd even be willing to monitor him some if needed." Nick offers, much to Alex's surprise.

                         "I'll think about that. Someone will probably need to."  She returns to her pizza, now that perfect temperature of cool enough to eat but still warm enough to  make the cheese sort of melty and stringy. "Oh." she remembers, rushing to finish her mouthful. "I need your help. How do I keep sound from traveling through the vents?"

 


	5. A Rock and a Hard Case

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex finds herself in an awkward position between Luci and Raphael and Nick.

             "Sorry, I'm late." Raphael kisses her cheek.

             "I wasn't asleep." She exclaims straightening up, lifting her head from her hand. The book she was reading was on the floor, though courage is still in her lap. "Oh, well, maybe I was." She rubs her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

              "Yes, we just lost track of time. It's fairly easy to do out there." He picks up the book. "How was your day?"

              "Worrying and incredibly uncomfortable, but fine. I can't get more specific than that without discussing Luci." This gets the predictable response of a tightening of the lips and the deep breath of ultimate annoyance.

               "I'll listen to anything you want to tell me. I just can't promise anything about my reactions to it." He says, honest as always and sits beside her, putting his arm around her shoulder.

               "Good enough, I guess." She leans into him, shifting her seat, making Courage move, the pup finally settles on draping himself across her lap and resting his head on Raphael's leg. "I have no idea what I'm going to do about this. She refused to even just omit the fact that she's the devil and probably will continue to be blunt about it with everyone. Given we'll have hunters here eventually, I can't see that ending well. I don't know what Bree was thinking. I really don't." Not that she doesn't love her freind, but her propensity for mischeif induced chaos isn't so amusing when you're on the receiving end. Granted this probably isn't just a big prank, but it's impossible to be completely sure.

                "He won't be staying long. Michael is searching for Gabriel as we speak. They'll find some place else for him to go." the uncharacteristic optimism of this statement is probably fueled by wishful thinking alone.

                "Where?'

                "I don't care so long as it's not here. He's not my responsibility. And he's certainly not yours. You've been through enough. Don't let Gabriel push you into this." She's not entirely sure who he's trying to convince of any of that, her or himself. But he'll have to accept things eventually.

               "I know she hurt you, Raphael, but she went through a lot for you, too. And made good in the end, for the most part." She reminds him.

               "And that's supposed to just excuse everything."

               "No, but it means that you were right in giving her the benefit of the doubt then so I can't do any less now. You don't have to get involved. No one's asking you to." She starts but is interrupted.

              "No one's asking, that much is true." She really doesn't blame him for being angry, but she can't help wanting to play devil's advocate. She often does, though rarely quite so literally.

               "I don't think she's going anywhere, Raph." Alex settles on saying. "It's not safe for her to go with Michael. It's not safe for anyone for her to stay with Sam. It's an incredibly bad idea for her to be left to herself and if she's not near one of you three, she may as well be alone, for all the good anyone else would do.  I hate to say it but having her here until Michael's rounded up the remaining the Leviathan is by and large the best option for almost everyone."

                "Except for us." Is his dour response. Of course she can't really argue with that, not unless she wants to really out and out argue. It certainly doesn't do her any good. But there might be the opportunity for him and Luci to reconcile, which would be all sorts of good for them both. Granted he still thinks he doesn't want to make up with his siblings, but she knows he does.

                 "On the plus side, her being here means, Michael will be around more." Maybe that will help him resign himself to it. "And Gabriel. Hey, weren't we taking Shelly hostage tonight?" She straightens up.

                 "Dean and Cas decided to keep her the whole weekend. I'll be picking her up early tomorrow morning.

 

                "Hello?" She knocks on Lucy's door. There's no answer. "Hey! I thought you were the MORNING star." She bangs harder. The door opens to reveal an exhausted Luci, looking decidedly unamused. She snatches Alex's coffee from her hands and drains it in a few gulps.

                "Give me a minute." She slams the door shut just as Shelly gives a shriek back across the hallway."You have Michele?" The door opens again almost immediately and she pushes past Alex, crossing over to the other apartment without so much as a by your leave. "There's my little song!" Alex turns around and goes back into her place. Shelly's excited exclamation could shatter glass.

                 "Elel! uh, uh." She's bouncing in the playpen, shaking the side as Raphael gets the carrier. Luci snatches her up lifting her towards the ceiling before swooping her back down into a cuddle. She buries her with little kisses and raspberries all over her body, especially her tummy. Michael had said that watching the two of them together was like watching Luci and Gabriel all over again. It would certainly help explain why Bree still has such affection for her brother, even after everything that's happened.

                "Why did you let her in here?" Raphael demands, turning his irritation to her as he's unwilling to snatch the happy baby from her aunt. Alex just crosses her arms and gives him a look that he's too agitated to notice. She loves him, but he can be such an unreasonable asshole sometimes. " You are not welcome in this apartment, Lucifer."

                "It's not your apartment, it's the building managers." She replies, taking a firm stance against being parted from her neice. Alex just covers her eyes. They both look at her expectantly. Which will be the response that has the least horrible consequences. Of course it's starting to feel that any response would lead to something better than this intense pressure she's feeling right now.

                "Sorry, Luci, he give me multiple orgasms. All you have to bring to the table is eternal damnation." She jokes. Of course, this manages to make Luci laugh and Raphael just as mad as if she'd said Luci could stay.

                "Well, if that's what it takes, it wouldn't be the worst thing I"ve done." Luci suggestively smacks her a kiss.

                "Get out." Raphael repeats firmly, with a tone that brooks no nonsense.

                "Alright. We know when we're not wanted. C'mon, Shelly, lets go, you can help me pick out my clothes." She starts to walk towards the door baby in her arms, but Raphael's had enough. He snaps Michele into his arms and Luci back to her apartment, their own door locked and bolted. He frowns at Alex as Shelly, not liking the change even slightly starts to cry.

                "I am so sorry. I don't know what got into me." Alex can feel her cheeks turn red. Aside from a desperate desire to defuse the situation with humor. She has a far deeper sympathy for Gabriel. It must have been a hundred times worse when Michael and Luci were at odds, too.

                "Would you get Courage?" he asks quietly, holding out the leash. She can barely hear him over Shelly's tantrum, "He's under the sofa." courage isn't any fonder of instantaneous transportation himself, generally responding by emptying his bladder and bowels.

                 "Elel, elel," She gives a sob before angrily shreiking her little heart out. Alex coaxes Courage out from under the sofa as Raphael attempts to swallow his irritation and comfort the child with softly uttered enochian.

                  "She hasn't seen her much lately."Alex tries.

                  "I don't care."Is the curt reply. "You know Sam doesn't want him around Michele anyway." As if he really cares what Sam wants. But she can't argue. There's every reason in the world to keep Luci away from pretty much any and every body honestly.

                  "You know that Gabriel does." she hands him the leash. Courage gives a whimper that matches Shelly's. She looks exhausted. "Maybe if you sang to her?" Though Luci and Gabriel have beautiful voices, neither Michael or Raphael care to sing. Unless they're teasing Bree when she fights with Sam. Actually, she doesn't think she's heard him sing in this new body yet.

                  "Very well." he sighs and starts to sing Bhram's lullaby, the german lyrics Shelly likes best. His voice is rich and low, very soothing. It actually kind of makes her want to go back to bed. But she hands him the diaper bag and tucks a blanket around the fading infant in the carrier, before slipping a hat over the sparse golden brown curls.

                   "Elel." Is the final pitiful protest before the gentle motion and her uncle's comforting voice ease her into sleep.

                   The sight of him tending to the infant makes her heart beat faster and she breifly wishes she could have his baby without the proccess almost certainly killing her. But even if she could, it's way too soon for thoughts like that. They're only even fake married due to medical reasons that actually no longer even apply. But now his identity and their respective lives are so entwined with it, it's easier just to leave it. Besides she has school, several more years of it. But still, Shelly is a tiny Gabriel. It would be adorable to have a tiny Raphael. She could dress him up as Eeyore for halloween, or even just whenever.

                    "You don't know we'd have a boy. We might have a girl as well. She also might take after you." He replies. Apparently she was thinking of it a bit too longingly and it got taken as a prayer. That's really starting to get embarrassing. "Why Eeyore?"

                    "No reason." she takes out her phone and requests a drawing of that from Michael. 'Sketch of a fledgeling Raphael in an eeyore costume, please. Don't ask why.' Raphael just raises an eyebrow at her, but still smiles slightly as he puts a hand to Shellys back, keeping her steady as he leans forwards to give Alex a kiss.

                     "I'll be at the dog park if you need me." he leads Courage out the door.

                     "Alright." Alex puts her phone back and heads across the hall. There's a beep showing a text has come back. Michael's already done the picture, and with him in the traditional splay legged pose, sitting on the ground. No wings, but they'd disrupt the flow of the picture. He either already had one drawn or dropped everything to do it, possibly even stopping time to do so, given the detail of it. She's not sure which is funnier. It's even colored and in the Disney style. There's even the fallen house of sticks slightly in front of him and to the side.  Now another text.

                      'Turn about is fair play.' and a picture of a tiny Alex in a piglet costume, peering over the side of an umbrella thats floating in the water. Turn about's fair play?

                      'Why did Michael send me this?' Raphael texts, sending the piglet picture along with it. 'He said to ask you.' So she forwards him the eeyore picture in response. 'I see...' he doesn't but there are no further questions.

                      There's another picture. Lucy in a Rabbit costume, scowling at an empty honey pot and Michael the Pooh peering at her from behind a corner, honey on his mouth and hands. This one makes her laugh out loud with enough volume to make Luci open the door. But the kicker is the picture of Bree in a Tigger costume, with a wide dimpled grin bouncing on her tail. Of course she would start laughing so hard she can't even resist when Luci snatches the phone from her.

                     "He's supposed to be working." She grumps, all out of sorts again, but smiles anyways at the one of her and Michael.

                     "So are we, so come on."

                      "We need to make these into posters for Shelly's nursery." Luci types in a couple things. When she finally hands the phone back, there are pictures of Sam and shelly as kanga and roo. Cas as owl and Dean and Claire and a heffalump and woozle respectively. Lastly is a picture of a curly haired christopher robin in an old bathrobe and holding a 'worlds greatest dad' mug in both hands while looking fondly bemused.

                       "Awww."

                       "Fairly sure that last one is outright blasphemy." Luci grins. "I'm so proud." Alex can't help but feel that as a father, God would probably love it and be hanging it on his fridge. If he has a fridge wherever he is.

                        '... I'm starting to worry about Michael.' Raphael texts, probably joking. He apparently got copies as well.

                        'My fault. I started it.' She replies.

                        'I worry about you, too.' this one she knows is him teasing. 'If Sam gives his permission, I'll let Lucifer in to see Shelly, But I'm not asking him.'

                        'Gotcha. Thank you.'

                        "Good news." Alex informs Luci. "If we get Sam's permission, you can visit with Michele." Though the look on her face says Alex might as well have asked her to chisle a statue in his honor out of a dried block manure with her teeth within the hour. She's probably rather do that.  Honestly.

                         "That's never going to happen."

                         "If you can't bring yourself to it yet, I understand." Alex says kindly. She does have a lot to make up for in regards to Sam, including several attempted murders and an inestimable number of years of rape and torture in the cage. Honestly thinking of it makes Alex wonder why she even thought that would be good news.

                         "Oh, I'll do it. For that little ball of starshine, of course I will. But he'll never say yes. Not again, not to me, and not for this." Lucy shakes her head. "All I have to offer is eternal damnation, remember."

                         "I didn't mean..." Alex winces.

                         "Doesn't make it any less true." Lucy heads down to the office, not waiting for Alex. This is going to be a long day.

 

                         "Alex?" There's a knock on the door as Alex sets the empty cans back up on the edge of the desk.

                         "Yes?" She walks over and takes the rubber band from Lucy, aiming it at the bottom middle can. "Come in."

                         "Working hard?" Nick asks bringing in a pizza, chips and soda.

                         "Hardly working. There's nothing to do at the moment." She lets it fly, knocking the low left one back an inch or so. "Aaaa..."

                         "You're not pulling it back far enough."Luci takes one and stretches it impossibly far back before letting it go. It strikes the lower middle one so hard everything goes down.

                          "I'm afraid it'll slip and snap back, taking my eye out." Alex confesses. "So, Nick, what's up?" She hurries over to him. "Stopping by on your lunch break to pick up a lost tool?"

                          "No,You were so good as to share your lunch with me yesterday, I thought I'd return the favor." he places the pizza down on the counter.

                           "Thanks. Raphael has Shelly today so he'll probably be glad not to have to cook lunch.  Hold on." She takes out her phone and texts him. 'Nick stopped by with pizza. No need to make me lunch. Enjoy Shelly. XOXO'

                           'Already done.' Is the reply 'Shelly sleeping. Will just reheat for dinner.' And there's a photo of Shelly asleep on their bed, butt up in the air, her little mouth open and drooling on the bed spread. Courage is asleep beside her, his puppy head resting on her back. "Awww." she shows the picture to luci who smiles fondly.

                          "She's getting more photogenic." Luci comments.

                          "That or it's because it's Raphael taking the picture. He's an incredible photographer. I helped him set up a website with his better ones. You can even order a few prints. The money goes straight to the funds for the shelter." Alex hands it to Nick who smiles at the image.

                          "She's adorable."

                          'I know. But loud." Alex sighs. Luci gives a low chuckle at this, fashioning a slingshot out of paperclips and rubber bands. "So you only wanted to drop off Pizza?"

                         "Actually I got some tickets to the katy perry concert tonight. A client of mine had an family emergency and they can't go so she asked if I knew anyone who's be interested.

                        "Yes!" Alex exclaims. "Oh, no, we have Shelly tonight. If I could have them anyway, though, I bet Claire and Krissy would love to go."

                        "There are four tickets. You could invite Bree and all four of you could go. Make it a girl's night out. It'll be good for you after a month cooped up with hubby."

                        "True, but it was a month of theater and orchestras. It's not as if we never left the hotel. We went out every day." Alex rolls her eyes. "And it wasn't a honey moon. We're not really married." Nick just grins and hands her the envelope.

                        It probably doesn't make that much of a difference though, if she's being honest. Not at this point. It's not a real marriage but there's paperwork, insurance, taxes. they're living together, sleeping together, in love, yes, they even own a dog together. Looking at everything its conceivable that this may be how she spends the rest of her life, with him as husband and wife, together, forever.  There's even a baby upstairs that they'll be jointly taking care of tonight, like actual parents. Holy fuck how the hell did this happen?

                       "Are you alright?" Nick asks at her expression, raising a concerned eyebrow.

                       "Fine. I'm fine." She puts the tickets away, though the sudden wave of terror sends her heart practically beating through her chest. "Thanks."

                       "Isn't she a little young for you?" Luci comments. Nick tries to ignore her, but a flare of rage creeps into his eyes all the same.

                       "I'll see you around, Alex." Nick pats her shoulder and gives her a fatherly kiss on the forehead before leaving.

                       "Later, Nick." She waves, he grins and waves back. "He thinks of me like a daughter, Luci." She informs the trouble maker. Luci just gets a patronizing look.

                       "I've been inside the man, remember? He likes brunettes."

                       "Well there's no shortage of us." Alex replies and takes a slice of pizza. "Besides I'm pretty sure he has a thing for Jody."

                       "Sure. I'm surprised you took the tickets, though." Luci looks at the envelope as Alex puts them away. "You don't seem like that kind of girl. You know, aside from the abject favoritism that gets you the apartment, the job, your salary, and all the crap Raphael gives you."

                        "Well, unless you know of any other counselors for the supernaturally afflicted, I have kind of cornered the market. I"m a rare commodity, over paid, maybe, but supply and demand and all that. Besides Raphael doesn't really give gifts, besides the fresh fruit and veggies." Alex replies though she knows Luci's just baiting her again. "Hungry?" she holds out the pizza box to Luci who frowns.

                         "No."

                         "And Nick likes to give me and Jody little things when he can for our help after his ressurrection. It soothes his pride so why not?" Alex explains.

                         "Well, he does have plenty of that." Says the pot of the kettle. Alex just ignores her and calls up Claire.

                     


	6. And Baby makes Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael spends a day with Shelly,  
> A young Raphael and Gabriel story  
> Alex gets kidnapped for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dont be fooled, its a slow chapter but it is a set up for important plot points later on.

               "Da!" the exclamation lets Raphael know that Shell's awake and has spotted her snuggle buddy. He looks up from his book to see Courage dive into the crack between him and the night stand, trying to hide from the toddler. Shelly crawls across the bed to her uncle's lap, trying to reach the puppy who's making himself as small as possible.

                "Hello, Michele. Sleep well?" he smiles at her.

                "Hai!" she beams and tries to make her way under his arm to get to courage, but he blocks her way. She tries to climb over it, around, through it, but can't and starts to fuss at the imposition.

                "Courage doesn't want to play." He picks her up and sits her down. She just looks to the dog and pouts before turning her sad golden eyes to her uncle. "He will some day. Would you like me to read you Pat the Bunny?" But she still pouts at him her lip going further out.

                 "Wa da."

                 "You're too loud. You scare him." He informs her. "When you learn to be quieter, he'll be more willing to come out and play."

                 "tssss." She puts her hand over her mouth, one finger out.

                 "That's right. Shhh." Raphael mimics the gesture and looks down at courage who's peeking his nose out under his arm. "Come on out, Courage. She won't hurt you." He moves her so she's sitting to one side with his arm around her, facing the nightstand. "Come on." He scratches behind the puppies ears a little."Come on out, it's okay." he keeps his voice soft and low.

                  "Ca ma." Shelly mimics his tone. "ca ma, da." She reaches her little hand out opening her and closing her fist. Courage slowly inches fowards  nose going out to sniff her hand. When he licks it Shelly shreiks in glee making him take off again. "da! da!" She kicks her feet and shakes her arms excitedly before holding the licked hand up to show him. Raphael just gives a sigh and a smile at the display and brings up her favorite book.

 

                  "Hey, you." Alex enters the apartment.

                  "Hai!" Shelly looks up from the rug where she and her uncle are playing with blocks. He builds them up, she tears them down and tries to eat all the ones she can pick up.

                  "Playing with Uncle Raph, huh?" Alex kneels down by them.

                  "Ya. A bah. " Shelly holds up the block before putting it to her mouth.

                  "She doesn't seem to be able to do the solid consonants at the end of words yet. Though contextual clues render her fairly understandable never the less." He starts setting up a wall around his neice. She watches him for a minute before dropping her well tasted block to grab one from the wall. "I don't know what her father was like as an infant, but her mother liked to knock down my constructs as well."

                   "She's not trying to... oh, never mind." Alex laughs as Shelly smashes the wall with her block.

                   "Granted Gabriel would usually just blow it down, but thankfully Shelly can't control the wind or even access angelic powers yet."

                   "She will?"

                   "One day, most likely. She has wings. Just two though and she can't manifest them, but they're there and just as golden as her mothers. I'm a bit curious to see how she turns out in angelic terms. This is the first nephilim created by an archangel."

                   "Hmm." Alex starts building up the wall herself. "So tell me more about you and Bree as fledgelings, like what was the age difference in human terms?"

                   "I was still very young when she was created. I was still learning to fight properly while flying, so... preschooler? I had mixed feelings about her. On the one hand she had a beautiful voice and laughed and smiled alot. She also took up lucifer's attention so he didn't pick on me so much or get in the way when Michael was trying to teach me things, demanding attention. And it was nice having a younger sibling that I could try and teach things.

                   "On the other hand, she laughed a little too much and found things funny that I absolutely didn't. I didn't understand why my big brother adored her and hated me so much for the longest time and resented her for it at times. And she was a little brat always ruining my things or playing jokes and Lucifer came to her defense more effectively than Michael ever came to mine, but that was more because of Lucifer's skill with words, not because he cared about her more than Michael cared about me. When we fought I'd be held responsible because I was older and should know better. I still kind of am, which is especially irritating given how Michael and Lucifer fought and how much of a pain the butt she is.

                    "I was surprised at how much I missed her when she left. She made everything more chaotic and difficult, but honestly a lot of her pranks and lessons ended up preparing our siblings for the war as much as anything official. Truth be told even her absence helped a little. Once Lucifer figured out we weren't just keeping her in heaven, locked away from him, and was genuinely missing, his attempts to find her put him at a slight disadvantage. But the real benefit was when he decided to try and capture her on her predelivered message runs. It forced outright battles where if he'd held off until he had more demons, he might have won. 

                    "He didn't give up either, even to the very end when Michael finally defeated him. We were both convinced that she'd killed herself by then. The barest hope we had died when she didn't show up to plead on his behalf or even bear witness to his punishment. Michael's belief is what finally convinced Lucifer. It was the only thing that seemed to break through the anger and defiance even a little. I blamed for that, too, and much to my shame I was even glad for a few moments that she was gone because the loss of his little darling hurt him like nothing we could do.

                    "We didn't find out she was still alive until the moment he killed her. That more than anything resigned Michael to the final fight. Before that he had doubts, held back slightly. Of course when I found out later Castiel had discovered her earlier and didn't tell anyone, it down right enraged me. I held that rebellious defiant angel just as responsible for her demise as Lucifer. It made me decidedly more... heavy handed with him than I probably should have been. Not that his attack on Michael made me much less ill disposed towards him." Alex is always so rapt when he speaks to her, and non judgemental. It makes it so easy to tell her things. He's never been able to talk to anyone as freely as he can her. Sariel just rolled her eyes at him. Meli was so perfect and moral that he couldn't bear to risk being rejected. Even Michael is a bit hard to talk to sometimes. But not Alex.

                    "I'm glad you two made up." She smiles gently at him, bringing him back out of the shameful past, into the present.

                    "It is nice to have someone to talk about photography with. Have you seen the pictures he took of the vacation he had with the winchesters in 2016? He has an interesting sense of humor." Raphael smiles. The underside of the mushroom was especially funny, but you have to be fairly fluent in enochian to even hope to get it. The one with half a worm was actually a reference to an incredibly dirty sumerian joke that doesn't translate well. Gabriel stole that one, but of course, Castiel was too embarrassed to ask about it.

                     "There were a lot of unusual pictures." Alex says diplomatically. Shelly gives a fuss, likely at having attention taken away from her. When he looks back, she's putting her fist to and from her mouth. "Oh, hungry, huh? Well it is dinner time isn't it?" Alex picks up the girl who rests her head against her shoulder as she's carried over to the high chair. The sight of Alex with his neice makes him think about what she was thinking about so intently, prayerfully before. To have a child with her, a little Alex to raise and feed and care for. It's appealing but impossible. He's never put her at risk like that. He could remove his grace and give her a normal human child, but it wouldn't really be his, just this body's. It would take his grace to truly make the child his own and that's what she was intrigued by, the child being his specifically.

                    Raphael puts the blocks away and goes to take her plate from where it's been keeping warm in the oven. He hears an indignant exclamation from Shelly and turns to find Alex gone and a peice of paper fluttering down to the tray of the high chair. He picks it up to see a hastily scrawled note in enochian.

                   "We have your wife. We will exchange hostages at noon tommorrow across the street from the dog park. It is possible you will see hooded figures in the dog park. DO NOT APPROACH THEM. DO NOT APPROACH THE DOG PARK. The fence is electrified and highly dangerous. Try not to look at the dog park Do not look for any period of time at the hooded figures. The dog park will not harm you.

                     You cannot find us. You cannot trace us. Do not involve the police. They are already aware. They are already involved.'

                  And it's signed with an angel emoji and a devil emoji. Those little shits, what the hell are they doing now? and why are they dragging Alex into it. Not wanting to waste paper, he flips it over and writes out his reply.

                 "i don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you that I don't have money.  But what I do have are a particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my wife go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't. I will look for you, I will find you and I will pluck you like a chicken. ( And he follows it with an angel emoji with a broken halo, bare chicken wings and surrounded by feathers underneath it. Swirly eyes complete the picture.)

                  Ps. You took her before she got to eat her dinner. Feed her.

                  And he sends it off.

                  "Sorry michele. I guess Aunt Alex was needed somewhere else." He sits down and snaps up the pureed parsnips. She just pouts. "I know. Trust me, I know." She reluctantly takes the offered spoon and puts it in her mouth. More of it ends up on her face and clothing but she seems happy with that. He'll have to give her a bath later anyways. After a moment his phone rings. It's Alex. "Is everything alright?"

                 "Hi. yes. I'm so sorry about this. I told them I wasn't going to go but apparently Krissy had promised to let Harahel have a night at the theater and couldn't go to the concert after all, so they decided to kidnap me instead of letting a ticket go to waste."He can barely hear her over the raucous laughter in the background. Gabriel and Lucifer by the sound of it, likely at his response. "Nick gave me some concert tickets, but we had the baby so I left them with Luci so she and Bree could go with Claire and Krissy."

                 "You could have gone. I can take care of Michele on my own. She'll sleep most of the night. Though noon is a problem as I have those placement tests in the morning remember? I can hardly take her with me."

                 "I'll make sure they bring me back after the concert. That or I'll pray for you to come get me. Are you sure you're alright with this?"

                 "I'm sure. You haven't really spent time with Gabriel or Claire in over a month. You should enjoy the concert with them."He reassures her, though it warms his heart that she turned it down to help him with Shelly.

                 "Thanks. I'm sorry about missing the meal again. I'll eat it when I get home, I promise."

                 "It's a lasagna roll, it'll keep. Get something before the concert if you can."

                 "Oh, now I want to come back and eat it. I don't suppose you could box it and send it over."

                 "Of course." He smiles and snaps it to her.

                 "You are the best. I'll see you later, hon."

                 "Later." Raphael hangs up, the smile still on his face and watches Shelly eat.

 

                 "Hey." Alex walks unsteadily into the bedroom. It's about one in the morning. "Luci stole half the lasagna roll so we went out to get a snack after the concert. But all that was open was a bar so we had chicken wings and alot of alcohol and more chicken wings and Claire and Luci got into a fight but Bree broke it up and took them home and then took me home. So I'm here." She plops down on the bed, not even bothering to take off her shoes. She doesn't usually drink enough to get to this state.

                 "Is everything alright?" He asks, concerned, touching her back, but she just grunts and puts the pillow over her head to block out the light.. Taking the hint, he kisses her hand, clearing and hydrating her system so she'll sleep soundly and not wake hungover. It's also easy enough to snap her into a comfortable nightgown and under the covers before he turns out the light and goes to read out in the living room when Shelly's sleeping in her playpen, the blanket covering it to keep out the light.

                  "Raphael, are you busy?" Michael appears.

                  "No," he puts his book down, "but if you're here to get me to let Lucifer play with Shelly, you're wasting your time."

                  "No. I'm actually here to extend an invitation to thanksgiving on Gabriel's behalf for you and Alex. You know she makes a point of doing all the family holidays. With Shelly here now, she's insisting that everyone and their significant others come. She's even inviting her other children." Michael sits down in his usual chair across from the couch and beside the coffee table.

                  "Who has she invited so far?" Not that it would make him more or less inclined to go but depending on the list it might provide him a reasonable excuse.

                 "Dean and Castiel, of course, Claire and Hel, Sherrif Mills, Fenris, Jormungandr and Thor, Xolotl and Meli, you and Alex, Krissy and Harahel who's using another vessel so Krissy can eat, and of course, Helel and myself."

                  "That sounds like the most horrible chaotic unneccesarily awkward event I have ever heard of. I respectfully decline."

                  "You know Alex will be going if only because Claire is, and Fenris will definitely be there if Alex is. I think I've convinced Helel that it would be better for him not to attend, seeing as he's killed so many antendees or their relatives. Not this year at least. If I have to sty with him I will, though I was looking forwards to seeing Thor again. I haven't had much time to go spar in Valhalla since I've been back. Zolotly and Meli may not attend. I'm not sure how a soul could leave Mictlan for hte feast, so if Xolotl does attend, he'll likely attend alone. I have no idea if Jormungandr will attend for not . Thor might talk him into it, but he's sitll in the dark about everything regarding his mother and isn't overly fond of Gabriel at all, especially not her new lifestyle. Though it's far more mature and respectable than her last one."

                   This assessment makes him both less and more uneasy about the event, but he still doesn't feel inclined to attend. Granted the news that Fenris will be there and specifically for Alex makes him want to try talking her into staying home as well. If Meli will be there, he can't imagine it going well for either himself or Alex. Not even slightly.

                  "I doubt I'll attend. It's centered around a meal. Why would she invite people who can't eat to a meal?"

                  "Supposedly it's centered around famliy and giving thanks for your blessings. The meal is secondary and symbolic of a bountiful harvest. Gabriel also said to tell you that if you'll help her in the kitchen she'll have that talk you wanted." Michael throws that last peice of bait out there. It's unlikely that she'll do anything but avoid him until he's resigned himself to the situation. And she's likely won Michael over to the arrangement already. Raphael knows his elder sibling loves him and will take up for him in almost anything, but michael's already made it clear that while he respects his little brother's feelings about Lucifer, he thinks it would be best for them to reconcile.

                 "I'll consider it. I'm surprised she didn't just extend the invitation to Alex when they were out tonight." Raphael shrugs, but then again Gabriel never likes to do anything the way anyone expects.

                 "She did, but she seemed to think Alex may not be able to remember it in the morning so she asked me to inform you as well. I know things will be tense with Claire and Meli, if they're there, but it is a chance to build up some good will. I'm sure Alex can use some support if Fenris is there."Michael clearly seems to want him to go, but there's very little he wants to do less.

                 "I'll think about it." he can promise that much at least. Even if he's fairly sure he's neither going to go or allow Alex to go, either.

                 "Thank you. You know everyone who matters wants you there."

                 "I can't imagine it doing anything but causing trouble to be honest." Raphael confesses. He killed Claire's father and abandoned two entire continents to the ravages of disease when Meli died. He can't exactly see how much good will he can build with either of them at a simple thanksgiving dinner. Or even that he has the right to try.

                  "I can't imagine the entire dinner will do anything but cause trouble. It will possibly break into a fight or two, in which case we'll definitely want you there." Michael grins. Raphael just rools his eyes. There's no one who could get injured that any of the other angels isn't perfectly capable of healing. The only thing that could even hurt the archangels are each other and the leviathan, though far less than they'd hurt anyone else.

                  "You will call for me if you get hurt of in trouble, won't you?" The question surprises Michael.

                  "Of course. I don't anticipate any trouble, though. So there's no need to worry. I'll be taking them on individually, not en mass this time. Without their king they tend to either avoid each other or eat each other, apparently." Michael shrugs. "Either way, only one is in a town, generally. So how are you and Alex doing?"

                  "Wonderfully." Raphael can't help but smile. "I don't think I've ever been happier. I did worry that getting my grace back might hurt things, but it surprisingly makes a few things even better. Plus I can protect her properly now."

                  "That's true." Michael nods. "You don't miss anything though?"

                  "Not completely. I do miss tasting things. the adjustment I had to make to my vessel so I'd fit in it are making it so that I have to eat every once in a while, but unless I eat sweets, taste is still an issue. I am starting to get tired of sugar as well."

                   "Even honey?" Michael asks increduously, reminding him of the Winnie the Pooh sketches he did. Raphael just chuckles and nods.

                   "I have been experimenting with foods, trying to find things that provide a more pleasant experience. Texture and odor have a very significant effect, but it's difficult to find a sufficient concentration of any molecule to over power the others. I try the distraction technique but even so I"m too aware of what I'm eating. I have found a few ingredients that have no taste and can be used to alter texture. I should have something figured out soon, if only one dish."

                   "I'll be interesting in tasting them. I can rarely keep it up myself. Would you care for a board game? Or would you prefer I leave you to your reading?"

                   "On, a game sounds fun. Not calvinball the board game though. Shelly's sleeping."

                   "I was thinking something like parcheesi or monopoly." He gives his little brother a hopeful smile.

                   "I'll get the boards."


	7. Cold Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci is dragged to thanksgiving dinner.  
> Raphael does something incredibly stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lost my internet and phone service so it'll take even longer to post the next chapter. I only have one hour a day access to the net. So bear with me until I get it back. (sux being broke)

          Alex sits her desk, deep in thought twiddling that damn pen so that it sacks against the desk with both ends. Finally Luci's had enough and snatches the pen from her.

          "Will you stop making so much damn noise?" He snaps. His head is absolutely killing him. While Michael is fairly unobservant about things like inevitable hangovers, Gabriel must have known this was going to happen, the punitive little brat. Really, he didn't hurt that interfering wench that much and it serves her right trying to break up Alex and Raphael. You'd have thought Gabriel would have had something to say about that, but no she's more concerned about alienating her little human friend.

           So Raphael killed her father. That was over a decade ago and even if he didn't, Luci still would have later so it's not like it really matters. He only died because Castiel was wearing him and she forgave the little usurper with no problem.  She really just needs to get over it and stop trying to fuck up his relationship with Alex before Luci has to really step in and make her. That would definitely strain things with Gabriel, but he kinds of owes it to Raphael at the very least.

           "You okay?" Alex finally asks.

           "I have a headache." He informs her bluntly.

           "Michael didn't heal you before he left?" The question irritates her.

           "No. I was still asleep. He's not as observant as your husband is." Luci can see Alex wince at the word 'husband'. "You're not seriously considering what Claire said last night, are you? She's a little biased, you know."

            "Who isn't?" Alex frowns.

            "True enough, it's hard to find a neutral party who you can talk to about things. What is he doing wrong? Have you tried talking to him?"

            "He's not doing anything wrong." She snaps, a bit defensively. "And I doubt he'd appreciate my talking to you about it, of all people, even if he was."

            "Probably not." Luci shrugs. "But if he's not doing anything wrong and you love him and love being with him, what's the problem?"

            "Nothing. There is no problem." She stubbornly lies, as if she thinks he's not familiar enough with them to detect even the unconscious self deceiving bullshit, much less something this blatant.

             "You could talk to Michael. No one knows Raphael better than him. And he cares about you, too. I don't think he'd try to talk you our of breaking up with him if you're really unhappy being with Raphael. You'd be an idiot who couldn't do better of course but free will means being allowed to choose the wrong thing, so." Luci shrugs. Alex just gives him an irritated look. Though she has to know that Raphael is so far out of her league she should be praising their father every day for creating him to do stupid things like falling in love with a human girl.

             "I'm not unhappy! Everything is wonderful and perfect. We have a nice life together, a nice arrangement and he's the best person I know." Alex argues seemingly aware of how ridiculously lucky she is. But there's an unmistakable look of terror in her eyes after she speaks, and she turns away to take a drink of water.

              "What are you so afraid of? He's inexplicably gone over you, and he's nothing if not loyal so you know he'll give this relationship everything he has. Just talk to him about things, you can work it out."

              "I'm not discussing this with you!" Alex tosses her a bottle of asprin. "So drop it."

              "Fine. So why do we have to be in the office? There's not that much paperwork to do and we could easily set up an intercom system linked to your apartment to alert you if someone's at the door. Or the training room or pretty much anywhere but here."

              "That's true." Lord be praised, Alex is actually listening to something he's saying. What's more she's even considering it. He understands that being doubted and mistrusted is to be expected, and his own damn fault, but even so it gets grating after a while. How can he prove himself trustworthy if no one is willing to trust him? "Or maybe one that's connected to a cell phone or walkie talkie that we can carry around and turn off. I'll ask Nick about that."

              "He's not an electrician. That's pretty much his weakest area. And you know he'd try and do it himself because it's you. He'd probably short out the whole building. I could probably see about setting something up, though." He offers, if only for something to do besides just sit here and wait for someone to arrive or some paperwork or bill paying to need doing. Maybe he could bring down his guitar and violin and teach Alex to play or just play until she starts crying again. That was one of the most satisfying recitals he's done so far.

              "Sounds good,actually. Figure out what you need and we'll go get it later." Alex turns on her computer. "What the hell." She frowns at the screen. Luci downs half a dozen asprin before going over to take a look and steal Alex's water. He can't help but laugh as he sees the screen.

              "That's our father's cat blog."

             "Kind of busy. And odd... Definitely creative though." Alex tries to find something nice to say about it.

             "Not a cat person, huh?" Luci grins and takes the mouse trying to close it, but it just keeps popping up. Actually it seems two pop up every time she tries to close it.

             "Not really, no." She confesses, taking out her phone. She dials but has to give up as it goes to voice mail and texts instead. "Dammit., Bree." She sighs leans back in her chair.

            "Hold on." Luci walks off to the pantry and tosses some salt at the screen. It briefly flickers but doesn't dispel. "Oh for... move back." He shoves Alex's chair back and goes under the desk to remove the side panel. Sure enough a small hex bag is placed inside.

            "How do you even make a hex bag for this?" Alex asks as Luci puts it up on the desk before going back to close up the computer.

            "Gabrielle is nothing if not creative."

            "Why do you call her Gabrielle sometimes? Isn't her name Gabriel?'

            "I call her Gabrielle because that's actually how her name is supposed to be pronounced. Soft 'a', accent on the 'el'. Everyone mispronounces Michael too. It's supposed to be said Mi-kai-el accent on the kai. He doesn't really care though. Almost no one seems to get it right. I think he finds it cute actually. Mitcha can be a bit sentimental at times."

            "I've noticed." Alex moves back and Luci gets back out from under the desk.

            "Alright. I'm kind of curious as to how she did, this aren't you?" Luci unties the bag. It's all computer parts. Peices of a motherboard, a memory chip, part of a disk, a piece of paper with a website on it, oh, here are a few non computer things, a picture of a hydra and a skeleton of a baby mouse to supply the power. "This can't possibly have worked."Luci frowns, but puts it in the metal waste basket and sets it on fire with her matchbook before checking the computer screen. The website finally disappears. "Well, I'll be. Gabriel was always a creative thing. " She smiles proudly. Alex just gets up and sprays the flaming waste basket with the fire extinguisher.  "Want to get her back?"

            "Not really, no." The unadventurous human replies, so he goes to work on the list and plans for the intercom.

 

           The rest of the week goes by just as slowly. More so due to the lack of further pranks, and the completion of the tracking spell. Michael's visits have been shorter and shorter, leaving him alone in the apartment much of the time.  He's starting to think he only shows up to make sure Luci goes to bed at a decent hour and doesn't go out all night and cause trouble. He had a few things to say about Luci's fight with Claire of course. How she's Gabriel's best freind, how she lost her family to angels, thanks to the whole apocalypse which he still blames him for entirely. Blah blah blah.

            And then Michael says he shouldn't go to that stupid Thanksgiving dinner Gabriel's holding. Not that he wanted to go have a family moment with Sam fucking Winchester, or Dean and that little brat who Molotoved Michael with holy fire. How he ever got the nerve to do something like that, Luci will never know. Well, aside from being in love with that interfering bastard Dean Winchester. There's no accounting for test. At least Raphael chose an intelligent, rational girl, who's not a murderous psychopath. Not that there's anything wrong with murder or psychopaths. Both can be fairly fast and effective problem solvers.

             Still, though. Michael's not supposed to want him to stay home. He's supposed to want him to go and be among friends and family and show that he can interact pleasantly with people. He's supposed to want him to go but resign himself to letting his lover stay behind because he wants to. Not because he's ashamed of being with him.

             And he is, isn't he? Michael is ashamed to be with him. Ashamed to be seen with him. Ashamed to love him. Maybe even just flat out ashamed of him in general. It's not that he isn't aware he's done so many terrible and shameful things, but isn't Michael supposed to see past that? Forgive that? Love him anyway? Or is it just not possible to be loved again by anyone, but his father. Is anyone ever going to truly be able to forgive him for any of it? Or is he just condemned to be outcast and hated by the only people who matter.

            Only Gabriel seems to think there's anything worth while about him now, but she's married to Sam and has a lot to do. Nothing she'll let him help with because she doesn't really trust him either. That it's a perfectly rational reasonable thing doesn't make it any less painful. Is this what she brought him back for? To just languish in solitude, stuck in this boring worthless building with a dull unadventurous human girl for a boss. It's almost painful in it's mundaneness. And then there's the fact that he can't even access the damn pantry for his spells. Alex has to call down and tell them what to pick out and authorize them to give it to him.

            And so much for never leaving him alone again. So much for Michael standing by him from here on out. Was it ever really about the potential danger or did he just want to hide him away, as his dirty little secret. Sure he brought up marriage when he came back, but he hasn't again. Obviously he no longer wants to. What's the point of all this? Raphael hates him again, Michael's ashamed of him and Gabriel... she'll never look up to him the way she once did. Its his own fault. He knows it, but again it doesn't make the situation any less torturous. Even saving Raphael and getting Michael his grace back so he can return from the abyss wasn't enough to make them trust him any.

             So maybe hexing Sam and covering his upper body with enochian insults and obscenities wasn't the most mature thing to do. Though shaving a patch of his head and drawing that lion face was funny, even Gabriel had to admit that no matter how pissed she was at the wording.  And yes, after winning his little brother's love and trust and respect for the first time, he screwed it up in trying to protect him from heaven. But if there was any way to convince them Raphael wasn't an enemy besides stabbing him and leaving him there, he'd have done that instead. But Raphael had to believe it for it to work, and then it turned out to be for nothing. And Raphael hates him more than he ever did. Even with believing he's changed and reforming, genuinely trying, Raphael still wants nothing to do with him. Because he no longer thinks his big brother is worth his time and affection.

             Only Shelly can love him without reservation but he's barely allowed to see her at all. She'll probably be told everything taught to hate him like anyone else. And what's worse, his father hasn't come to see him again since the white room. He misses Denny. He even misses Brett, though after trying to rip his soul from his body when he only just got it back with his sisters death, he probably doesn't want to see him again. Though it's possible he'd think it was all a dream.

             Michael promised to bring him back some food. Apparently Raphael is helping cook so the food will be absolutely amazing. Who knew he'd be such an incredible chef. Or so sickeningly domestic. Gabriel either for that matter. Hopefully Michael will make the plate before the asgardian men hit the table or there'll be nothing left to take home. Thor will probably try to spar with him too, the little whore.  As if he had a chance in the world. That was one thing he loved about Michael being human, no flitting off to Valhalla to brawl with dead vikings and pagan gods.

             If he could go too, it wouldn't be so bad, but he did kill the two most beloved members of the aesir the same day he killed Gabriel.  Most of the norse gods would feel strongly about at least one of those. Especially Thor as he and Gabriel are blood brothers and actually still in good standing, and Odin's his father and Baldur his half brother.  Has Michael even told him that they're lovers now? Has he told anyone besides their siblings.

             Either the would try to kill him on he'd have all sorts of horrible stories about what he and Gabriel got up to that he'd rathr not her out. He's not really sure which would be worse. And if Xolotl and Mali come, he killed Xolotl's mother and tried to kill his brother because they were torturing Raphael and trying to bring down heaven. Not that they'll care he was essentially in the right on that one. What the hell is Gabriel thinking putting all these people together. If it's a joke it's a really bad one. Maybe she's thinking the baby's presence will put everyone on their best behavior.

             "I hope you're dressed because it's dinner time!" He hears and finds himself sitting in a chair at the bunker of that long table. And of course he wasn't. He was just lounging around the apartment shoeless in his favorite Satan belly shirt and pink 'angel' script with red horns and a tail at the beginning and end. Maybe sulking a little bit too, but his hair is up in a messy bun. Much to his chagrin he's been placed near the end of the table next to his nephew Fenris on his right, with Sam at the adjacent seat to his left and the, definitely a joke, then, the little shit.

             "Elel! Elel!" He hears and looks back farther to see the only good thing to come from the Winchester line being placed in the high chair right between him and Sam. Shelly gives an excited shriek and starts waving her arms.

             "There's my little song." he smiles at her and moves his chair back a little next to the high chair and lets Michele play with his hands.

             "Babe..." he hears Sam say a little exasperated.

             "Did you really think I'd let you skip out?" Gabriel pats his head and changes his clothing into an ankle blue cotton princess dress with puffy sleeves and an empire waist.

             "Really, Paseh?" He looks up at her. She just grins and goes to take the seat across from him. He can feel hateful glares from several pairs of eyes around the table. But they're not important. Only his little song is important. Everyone else can go fuck themselves.

              As he just ate a few hours ago, he just helps feed and entertain his niece. Not that he doesn't eat anything. Raphael pureed alot of themain foods for her before seasoning and no longer just satisfied feeding herself, she'll insisted in sharing with her Auntie Helel. Of course, Sam keeps glancing over to them, so tense he's surprised the man's bones don't snap when he bumps his arms into the table.

              "Aren't you going to eat?" Gabriel asks.

              "Well, seeing as I wasn't coming and ate and entire extra cheese pizza two hours ago, no. Not right now."

              "Did you seriously think I'd let you stay home and sulk? No, better utter chaos and dissension." This comment makes him laugh a little even though he doesn't know how serious she is.

               "Fine. Anything for my favorite song, so chaos and dissension it is." Luci winks at her. Of course she starts laughing, and because mommy's laughing, Shelly starts to laugh. Luci quickly slips his hand behind her head before she can smash it against the back of the high chair, throwing it back in her laughing glee.

               "I'm seriously considering getting her a helmet." Sam comments dryly.

               "She laughs like you, Loki." Thor comments which is true enough.

               "So was our father constantly smacking his head on things?" Hel asks "If so, that would explain a lot." This gets a few chuckles even from Jormungandr.

               "No it was an entirely different plane. We didn't really use chairs at the time." Michael states simply.

               "But she did laugh so hard she'd forget to use her wings and would occaisionally just drop out of the sky." Luci informs them much to Gabriel's embarassment dropping her hand to mimic. "She recovered quickly and once Michael stopped freaking out over it, it was hillarious."

                "If I recall you were the one who 'freaked out' the most." Michael retorts. "You tried to Gabriel proof the garden which was of course impossible. He wove blankets out of the grass and attached them to the walls and corners stuffed with more grass to makes bumpers, but Gabriel just ended up flying into them as hard as she could, bouncing off them until they broke, and she broke three of her wings and tore open her shoulder." Luci looks back at Gabriel who's half smiling, half wincing at the story as everyone else laughs. "And after that, you just made a kind of harness and leech and wouldn't let her go until she learned to behave like a sensible angel."

                "Obviously he didn't stick to that declaration or she'd still be tethered." Raphael adds his two cents rather hillariously, at least to Luci.

                "Well, she'd use it as a swing or a bungee cord. She snapped it seven times. I'd have had to wrap her in a cocoon and Michael thought that was going a bit too far."

                 "I came back from training Raphael and saw Gabriel wrapped foot to wing with Helel declaring 'Just try and hurt yourself now.'  Which was foolish to say, as when I was arguing with him about it, she inched across the garden floor until she fell into a pit, smashing her face in." Of course this image just makes everyone start laughing, and begins a bunch of Gabriel stories which be necessity invoke Loki stories and Hue-Hue Coyotl stories. Including oone about an angry giantess and a goat that makes every man around the table wince.

                 "You're mother's insane. You know that right?" Luci wipes off Shelly's messy face and hands. "Let's hope you take after your father in that regard, huh?" He picks up the sleepy looking child and gently bounces her on his shoulder, patting her back in case she needs to burp, which she does.  Shelly snuggles up to her aunt with a yawn before turning her head away.

                 "A dada." she yawns some more. "Dadada."

                 "Oh, a daddy's girl, huh? Just like your namesake. Okay. Daddy's done eating, so here you go." he hands her over to Sam, making sure not to look at him directly and spook him too much, no matter how amusing he'd find it. He just looks at Shelly.

                 "Thank you." Sam says stiffly and starts humming to his daughter which is much more in tune then his singing. Michael looks a little irritated at the daddy's girl comment. Even though it's beyond true. Not that he cares that Michael is irritated.

                 "I'm getting some air." Luci gets up and heads out of the bunker.

                 "Hold on I'll go with you," Alex almost knocks the chair over, getting up from beside Raphael who looks a bit put out at this but doesn't say anything. Fenris looks far too interested in this. If he comes out to try and mess with Raphael's girl, Luci's kicking his nephews ass, no matter how Gabriel feels about it.

                 "You okay?" Luci says as it seems to be the thing to ask.

                 "Just a bit suffocating in there." Alex says, that same nervous tension through out her body as she's had all week.

                 "Tell me about it. I've killed so many loved ones I'm surprised I wasn't murdered on sight. I doubt an apology would smooth things over."

                 "Well, it's a good start, if you mean it." she wisely adds that caveat.

                 "I'm not sorry, and doubt I ever will be. I love my brothers and I'm trying to learn to love humanity for my father's sake, but he didn't ask me to give a shit about those pagan upstarts so I don't see the need." he walks up to a patch of cloves. Shelly would love a little wreath of them. Plus the flowers are edible so it's not such a big deal if she gnaws on them.

                 "A lot of pagan dieties actually were human in the beginning, like Xolotl and his brother. The jotun were nephilim Bree saved, human and angel mixed like Shelly. I think maybe some of the aesir were human once as well, or half human. The ones who survived the longest without tribute or blood shed were human once, or demi gods. So they're part of humanity as well."Which is an even more disturbing thought. It was bad enough humanity created their own gods through worship, like Ba'al but to have some attain apotheosis the same way... At least now the praise and worship of other humans isn't given a full belief in godhood. They end up with the same bad behavior and attitudes, but no godlike powers.

                 "Feeling a bit ordinary?" he asks poitedly, starting to braid.

                 "Yes, but also not ordinary enough." She sighs, "What are you doing?"

                 "Making Michele a crown." He informs her. "Pick me some clover would you? Full stem." She actually does without question amassing far more than he needs for such a small crown.

                 "Oh." Alex looks dejectedly at the pile, a bit more upset at the plucked flowers than warranted.

                 "Here let me braid them into your hair." He takes the bunch from her.

                 "Okay." She turns around a little clumsily. Is she drunk? She's awfully compliant. "You're never what I expect you to be."

                 "Well, as Machiavelli said, it's better for them to love you but if they can't love you, let them at least fear you.Granted that whole book was a hillarious scathing satire, but if he accidentally hits on a few good points."

                 "You'd rather be loved?"

                 "Of course, who wouldn't?" he replies. How drunk is she? If he tells her anything will she forget it in the morning.

                 "You were incredibly charming tonight."

                 "Huh, and I wasn't even trying." Luci shrugs, a small smile on his lips. "Mostly I was just getting back at Gabriel for dragging me here."

                 "Well, mostly it was seeing you with Michele. You obviously adore her, though that comment about hoping she takes after her father raised a few eyebrows."

                 "Please, I hate the man, but you have to admit he's far more grounded and level headed than Gabriel. Though that is a pretty low bar."

                 "True enough. he's very kind too, and generous. he helped me with my college and scholarship exploration applications even though he was dying of cancer. Granted he needed the distraction, but still he's a good man and he's so good for Bree. he really is. He brought her back from the abyss you know."

                 "She wouldn't have died at all if it weren't for him.  Bringing her back at least once was the least he could do. I can't believe I didn't realize how gone on him she as. On humanities side indeed." Luci scoffs. "Of course Sam didn't know, so..." He just shakes his head. He can choose to find the fact that she fell in love with his vessel flattering, but it doesn't change the fact he hates the man.

                 "Alex." Raphael comes over to take her away. Honestly, Luci's surprised it took him so long. "Can I speak to you a moment?"

                 "Hold on. She's braiding my hair." Alex replies much to Luci's amusement. She's definitely tipsy at the very least.

                 "It's okay, I'm pretty much done."He ties the braids into a loose knot, making it a sort of braided wreathe of hair and large purple clovers. "Have fun, kids."

                 Raphael's hands are behind his back and when Alex is up and headed to the bench a little further down, you can see he's holding a small jewlery box behind is back. Oh no... no.. he wouldn't be that stupid.

                  "Rapahel, don't." He can't help but try to warn his baby brother, though he knows he won't listen. "It's not the time. This is a bad idea. What are you doing? Don't... just go talk to Gabriel." Raphael just ignores her completely because of course he would. shit. He tries praying to Michael as the brat would listen to him. He appears just before the two begin to talk.

                   "What's wrong?"

                   "I think he's going to propose. You have to stop him. He's going to fuck up everything."He begs.

                   "I know you don't approve of this kind of things, Helel, but you need to be supportive." Michael chides him missing the point entirely.

                   "I am being supportive. He's going too fast. She's going to freak out."

                   "They love each other. They're perfect together. He has never been happier and neither has she. What would she..." They both look over just in time to see Alex throw up as the rings presented to her.

                   "Oh,that stupid idiot." Luci covers his eyes. "I told him. He can't say I didn't tell him." From the look on Raphael's face, what Alex says to him next is not a 'yes'.


	8. Assembling the Hunt.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael tries to get advice on what to do about Alex.  
> Michael accidentally pisses everyone off and begins to assemble a larger group for the Leviathan hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get another chapter up. Lost phone and net service, limiting time on computer and got exposed nerve in tooth leaving me unable to think of new stuff. But got phone back and am dealing with tooth better so hopefully i'll get more done.

          Raphael just sits there in silent irritation as his little sister lectures him on one of  the few subject she knows more about than he does. Or at least has had more experience than he has.

          "What did I tell you about going too fast? Did you even listen? What the hell were you thinking? I told you... told you to take it slow with her. I told you she was skittish because of Rhys, what exactly made you think proposing was a good idea? And here of all places. You knew that I was inviting Xolotl. You knew he was here. Why would you propose to somebody with the aztec god of misfortune around? What could possibly posses you to do something like that? Even without everything else, that was dumb." Of course that's enough.

           "Gabriel." he fixes her with his steely gaze. "Be quiet."

           "You know how Michele is with Courage? She gets that from you, you romantic moron."

          "Gabriel." Michael snaps, "Enough. Come with me, Raph, we'll go for a flight." He puts his hand on Raphael's shoulder. More than happy to get out of the bunker, Raphael follows him to the heavens.

          "She said she needed some space, that we needed to take a break from each other." He informs his older sibling flatly.

          "I am so sorry," Michael apologizes. "I thought she was just feeling insecure. That she was upset about the fake marriage because of the fake aspect, not the marriage aspect. "

          "No,I did as well. Maybe I was just blinded by my own desires."

          "And making your human identity as her husband was her idea." Michael still stubbornly refuses to fully believe he was wrong, or at fault for being wrong. "Plus she was thinking about having your baby you said. That's just as big a commitment if not more. I really don't understand why she's so afraid of this.  I know she loves you every bit as much as you love her. Though she is young. Maybe she just doesn't feel up to the responsibility yet."

        "Maybe, though I wouldn't exactly expect anything from her that's different from what we're doing now." And of course he can't help but think that if she truly felt the same way he did, they wouldn't be taking a break right now.

        "Why don't you join me on the hunt for a bit? Helel has finished the spell now so we can start sending them back to purgatory." Michael offers.

        "How do we do that it'll be decades before there's another eclipse." Raphael adds, though he really doesn't like to think too hard about that whole period.

        "We just kill them, thats all." Oh sure, just kill them.  That's not near impossible. "My sword should still kill them, though it manifests oddly on this plane. Granted a flaming blade the size of a small building isn't exactly good for avoiding attention, and even reduced would cause too much collateral damage. But we haven't fought together in a long time. It should be fun." Sometimes Michael's idea of fun is as odd as Gabriel's. It's really not surprising he's become freinds with some of the Aesir.

          "Alright." Raphael nods. At least this way he'll be right there to heal any injuries straight off instead of waiting until Michael feels he's injured enough to need it.

         "It'll be okay, Raphael. Really it will." He attempts to reassure him once again, but it won't be. Even Lucifer knew and tried to warn him. Not that he listened. Why would he listen to anything that liar says. And Alex is just going to be alone with him in that apartment. He does not like that idea at all. Their classes don't start until january.

        And what about Courage? How will he react? He's still young but he's just as attatched to him as he is to Alex. He'll be distressed if Raphael just disappears. And who will make sure they eat properly? For Alex it'll probably just be pizza, ramen and chinese if he's not there. And likely store bought food for Courage. Which won't be close to what he really needs. He's just gotten her back to a healthy naturally obtained weight and metabolism, even if society does seem to favor starvation now. Hopefully she won't do anything foolish like try to diet.

         "Make sure Lucifer leaves her alone or I will. And could you make sure she's eating properly?" He asks Michael.

         "I'll do my best." Michael agrees.

         "And let her know I'll take care of Courage when she's working." He adds.

         "You know, she said she needed space, not that she never wanted to speak to you again." Michael reminds him. "Just tell her yourself. Text her maybe." Raphael is much less inclined to take his brother's advice about this sort of thing this time, though. "And Helel's not going to do anything to Alex. He protected her from Crowley if you recall. And that fight with Claire was over her bad mouthing you to Alex. Isn't that an absurd phrase? Bad mouthing. It seems absurdly infantile when you think about it."

         "A lot of colloquialisms do. And stop talking to me about Lucifer. I don't care that he's reformed or is trying to make amends or doing his best. His best is almost as terrible as his worst at least where I'm concerned."

         "Raphael..." Michael sighs.

         "Does it even matter about what I want? How I feel about this?"

         "Of course it does. But you're not the only person I have to consider here and I think you're in the wrong this time. I understand but I think you're taking it a bit too far. You're treating him as if he hasn't changed at all and you know he has. You're the one who finally got through to him."

         "I don't care. Every time I get involved with him, I end up hurt, reformed or not. I'm done. I can't afford to love or trust him or have anything to do with him. You're happy with him fine, that's great. But don't pretend you care about me even close to as much as you cared about him. You never have. Neither of you ever have. Lucifer always comes first. Whether out of love or anger he's always first. For all three of you. So just stop." Raphael puts in a burst of speed and takes off. One of the few advantages he has over Michael is in speed. He can outrun him though just for a short sprint which takes pretty much everything out of him and is only useful for running away, and occasionally a counter that delays his defeat. He marks his progress with how long it takes for him to loose. But it's not a problem. As soon as he's out of sight, he heads to a place Michael won't think to look for him.

 

         Michael returns to the apartment. Is he really always putting Helel first? He doesn't put him first that much, does he?

         "How's Raphael?" Helel asks softly, finally done cursing his brother's idiocy it seems. Though even that was for the pain it caused his little brother.

         "Crushed, of course. And I made the mistake of taking him to task on how he's behaving towards you. He accused me and Gabriel of always putting you first. Can you believe that?"

         "Well, it's not as if that wasn't what I was trying for." Helel shrugs, shamelessly admitting his attention grabbing, and strips out of the pretty blue dress that brings out his ice blue eyes, the feature they changed to reflect his own true self. "I didn't want to share either of you with him at all. While I certainly felt you both paid him too much attention, it was less than you paid me. Not that I gave you much choice. So It probably looked that way. I mean Gabriel and I know he was really your favorite, but how would he? You kind of took him for granted. We all did, really, but he's such a momma's boy, it really kind of hurt when he was brushed aside."

          "He wasn't.... I don't know. It's different than with you. He's not my favorite. He just... should have been. Every bit of trust and regard I gave him he earned. He proved himself reliable and trustworthy. That he was treated as such, wasn't favoritism. I love all of you but not in the same way. I don't know what to say. I really don't. The last thing I need right now is to get in a fight with you, too." Though the look on Helel's face when he says this indicates he may have just started one anyways.

          "I'm overstuffed and exhausted. I'm going to bed." He says flatly and just goes into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Should he go after him? Or will he just make a bigger mess of things tonight. It's still early. Maybe he can just go spar with Thor is Valhalla, let off some steam.

         "I'm off to pay visit to the Aesir. If you need anything call for me." he informs Helel through the locked door. There's a very loud pointed silence, better than starting a fight but possibly much, much worse in the long run. Wonderful. Now he has to figure out what he did wrong with Helel, too.

         "Brodr!" Thor greets him with his usual enthusiastic hug. "So that lovely little vixen is yours now, huh?" He elbows him in the ribs. "I bet Loki had a few things to say about that."

         "They were never romantically involved. She was just afraid you'd kill him."

         "Him?" Thor frowns, not too well versed on gender fluidity.

         "Helel, our brother."

         "But he is a she, isn't he?" Thor raises an eyebrow. "He certainly looks convincing."

         "At the moment his body is female. We don't have genders. He associates more with the masculine though. Making him a girl was one of Gabriel's little jokes.

         "Sounds like him. He once had me dress up as a bride to try and get my hammer back. And he really set the whole thing up in the first place, the little drittsekk. Why would he think I'd kill your brother?"

         "Because Helel is better known as Lucifer." Michael informs him. He'd find out eventually, might as well tell him now.

         "So... you tamed the devil." Thor looks impressed with his prowess.

         "What fun is a tame devil?" Michael retorts, getting a belly shaking laugh from Thor. "He.. Raphael got through to him, broke through all his lies and defenses and made him face himself, accept a few truths he knew but was denying. And it changed him, at least enough to bring him back to the side of heaven."

         "Sounds a little too easy."

        "It wasn't, Raphael had to fight Helel in his own mind, and very nearly died doing it. There was nothing easy about it and I will not have you belittle what he accomplished. No one else could have done it. No one."

        "Wait, Lucifer killed my father and our blood brother and my jackass brother. Why didn't he even let us know before the feast?" Thor's quiet for a moment and looks angry. "Did he really think we'd abuse his hospitality that way? Where is that little horsefucker, right now? I'm going to yank his underoos up over his head the little shit." Michael just crosses his arms and looks steadily at the redheaded norseman, until Thor tilts his head and looks at him strangely. "Are you really a girl?"

        "I'm really an angel, and there for neither boy nor girl and out of five vessels only three of them have been female. Gender is only relevant so far as the vessel I'm in and I don't appreciate people attempting to assign me one beyond it. How would you like people asking if you're really a lizard or a fish, no matter what you look like or how often you insist you're human?" He asks pointedly, but it doesn't seem to get through.

        "A lizard or a fish? Huh, that's a tough one." Thor actually starts thinking about it, missing the point entirely. "I'm as much a water thing as I am a land thing. though I live on land, but I swim like a fish. Is there a lizard that swims like a fish? Or are those just amphibians.

        "We'd better not spar tonight, I might accidentally singe your beard off." Michael says cooly, far more irritated than he started out.

        "Well, you're obviously a lizard." Of course this just pisses Michael off even more. "Dragons count as lizards right?"

        "I am not a dragon either!"

        "Of course you are, what with fire and your temper and all that. Hey, you aren't a red head too, are you? In your angelness?"

        "Usually." Michael confesses. "I am a living being of divine flame. Look, I'm just going to go start hunting leviathan. Would you care to join me? Or will you stay in Valhalla debating with yourself how fishlike you are?"

        "Leviathan? Those things are still around?"

        "Yes, but they're water based creatures and hard to hurt. Beheading them and hiding the head renders them inactive. Borax burns them and my sword will kill them, though I may need to manifest a bit of it's flame. But I'm not sure how badly they'll be able to hurt you. They can easily kill the lesser angels and eat anything. But aside from my siblings they're the only things that can hurt me. So be careful.

         "Think they could hurt Baldur?" Thor muses. "We should invite him too and find out. Maybe he'll get his ass kicked. Hey, Ballsy!" Thor goes off down the hall. "We have a quest! Where's Beowulf? I'll bet he'd like to get in on this."

        

          When Raphael finally leaves venus to go back to speak to his little sister again, he finds her wearing a really odd black mini skirt, red rimmed glasses, a frilly white blouse with a ridiculously low collar and putting on some red high heels. Her hair is up in a severe bun.

          "Why are you putting on high heels? Can you even fit it on your false foot?" He frowns at her.

          "Um..." She looks up at him oddly close to blushing. "I needed to make a few adjustments. Is everything okay? This isn't exactly a good time."

          "I need some help. If you can refrain from further unnecessary scolding, I need to know how to fix things with Alex."

          "Just calm down, do nothing and I'll talk to you about this in the morning. Or you know, go out and catch fireflies with Cassie,Shelly and the other Winchester."

          " Well, if you can't talk right now, can Sam? He gives better advice and without trying to humiliate me." It's odd that he isn't with her.

          "No, he's not available either, now if you wouldn't mind..."

          "Servicion de habitation." there's a knock on the door.

          "Wait!" Gabriel starts but it's too late.

          "Tengo el kielbasa que ordeno." Sam enters, his hair slicked back and a ridiculous golden mustache made of his siblings hair. There's a waiters tray in his hand with wine glasses and an empty plate.

          "You left it in the kitchen." Raphael informs him. Sam freezes like a deer caught in the headlights. "Your plate is empty." He nods to it.

          "So it is. I'll go get that then." Sam backs out and closes the door. Gabriel bursts out laughing so hard she almost falls off the bed.

          "Holy crap, Raph. That almost makes up for the fact that now I'm not getting laid tonight." Raphael just gives a small mischievous grin that cracks her up even more. "You are such an asshole."

          "Why on earth are you..." He shakes his head. "I don't know whats wrong with you and how you drsggen sam down into your insanity and I don't want to."

          "Nothing is wrong and it's not insane, This is perfectly normal human fun thats all. Yuri was kind of cruel after the four of you left. So my sweet Sampita wanted to help cheer me up. Funny how everything erupted into chaos after Luci left and not when he arrived."  She looks at him pointedly.

        "We are not discussing him even tangently."

         "Alright, back to my sex life then. You see, Raph," she puts a sisterly arm around his shoulders. He attempts to glare her out of continuing but it doesnt work. "Sometimes when people  love each other and have been together a while, things start to get a bit... predictable. So they like to spice things up a little, try something new. Do a little roleplay."

          "We are not discussing your sex life either! This is a serious problem. I love Alex and I've ruined everythingp

and I need help fixing it."

          "He haven't ruined everything yet. You're just a toddler chasing after a frightened kitten thats all. You just need to learn patience thats all." 

           "Will you stop saying that? Im not a toddler chasing a kitten." Raphael snaps. "Will you stop your foolishness and give me sone real sensible advice? " Gabriel just gives him a chastizing look that says you know you are, just admit it, "I'm not. She was thinking about having a baby together." He sounds a bit more defensive than he cares to.

             "Raph, when you see someone you love being all cute and paternal, you can't help thinking about it. It doesn't mean anything. You love her, I know, and intensely because apparently when you let someone past those walls of yours, they just crumble into nonexistence. That intensity can be kind of overwhelming, for the both of you. And she does love you back maybe just as intensely which scares her evem more. It took her years to really trust and let Rhys in as far as she did and he betrayed her, had been the entire time.  That was after two years of getting to know each other. You proposed after three months."

           "We've known each other longer than she's known Rhys." He points out. "And she should know better than to think I'd ever hurt her that way." He argues.

          "She does know, but you can't reason away fear. And you weren't dating or even really freinds for most of that. It makes a difference." Gabriel tries to explain. "You've completely and utterly changed the fundamental nature of your relationship just three or four months ago. And you're asking her to do that again? It would be too fast even if she wasn't still recovering from Rhys's selfosh stupid cowardly idiocy. She wouldn't have said yes, but she wouldnt have panicked and broken up with you either."

          "We're taking a break, that's all." 

          "Okay, look. What you need to do now is nothing. Let her contact you. Go... help harahel with the library of congress for a bit. Give Alex a chance to calm down and realize how much more she loves you than she is afraid."

           "What if she doesn't? What if she decides she doesnt want to be with me after all?"

           "Well, better you find out now than after you marry or have kids together. Trust me, with my exwife and the mother of my children... so bad. you don't even know. But why think that way?" Gabriel councels optimism of course. "And don't worry I'll let her know you'll forgive her for freaking out if she'll forgive you for being a dumbass. Seriously, Raph, its like you fall in love and become stupid beyond all measure."

           "I'll consider helping Harahel, though she is rather afraid of me so my presence might be more of a hindrance."

           "Harahel's afraid of everyone and everything. So I doubt it. Besides its time to start fixing that sort of thing, don't you think? Harahel's the ideal place to start if only because she's so timid." But Raphael is still reluctant.

           "Michael did ask me to go on the leviathan hunt with him." Raphael avoids looking at his little sister as her words are starting to feel more and more true. Being in love does make him act foolishly and willing to do things he wouldn't ordinarily do. He understands Sampsons idiocy with Delilah a little better now. Love makes you stupid, but it makes you feel like its worth it. 

          "Well, do that then. It'll all be okay. Just remember, let her contact you. She's the one who needs space, let her decide how much she needs. And if the leviathan start to congragate in groups you call me, understand?" Gabriel hugs her brother. "And just pretend you didn't know what we were doing when you see Sam again.

           "I intended to for my own sake at least. You should have said something." Raphael scolds her, which breifly seems to irritate her."

           "I told you it wasn't a good time. I was trying to be discreet." Gabriel scowls. "But, tell you what, next time I'll just greet you with 'Go away, we're about to rut like weasels.' Hows that sound." Raphael just narrows his eyes at her and disappears before she can get any more absurd. Now where is Michael?"

           

         

        

         

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's about as clueless when it comes to relationships as Raphael. So yes, Raphael had asked Michael advice when he noticed Alex was troubled, which was dumb, and Michael actually tried to give it which was dumber. I didn't include the conversation because it's basically them just being the same totally clueless overly romantic morons they are in this chapter and wouldn't add anything to the story except maybe making you smack your forehead a bit more, and maybe taking away the surprise in the last chapter. 
> 
> I'd love to hear how you think it went though. :)


	9. The Norse Infestation.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a disasterous first hunt, Michael and the aesir return to his apartment to regroup.  
> Luci is not pleased.  
> Yuri and Baldur start shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Baldur in norse mythology was killed by a dart made of mistletoe as its the one thing on earth that hadn't promised not to harm him. Loki who hated Baldur, had tricked Hodr, Baldur's blind brother into throwing it at him.

     "Hey!" Luci bangs on Alex's door, abandoning the polite knocks that got no answer. "Are you alive? If you don't respond, I'm going to assume you're dead or dying and call Raphael to come ressurect you." There's a thud and sounds of movement at this, so he waits until she opens the door.

      "I'm alive. I'm not discussing anything with you. I have the interphone thing, so just let me be miserable in peace." Alex looks absolutely terrible, still in the same clothes as yesterday, and definitely hung over. She probably hit a few wines when Michael dropped them both off and went to console Raph.

       "Have you had breakfast?" Luci asks, shoving his way inside as she goes to close the door.

       "No I haven't had breakfast. I don't want breakfast. I'm not making breakfast. Raphael is not here to make breakfast. Nobody is getting breakfast this morning." Little miss grumpy pants retreats to her room, Courage trailing at her heels, and locks the door behind her. She must really be out of it not to notice the urine and dog crap on the carpet. Well, he'll make her breakfast but she's on her own for that.

      How hard can an omlette be?

 

      "What are you doing?" Alex eventually comes back out in clean clothes. "Are you cooking? I thought you couldn't cook."

     "There's 'can't', and then there's 'don't want to'." He replies sweetly.

     "So... are you making me breakfast or just don't want to mess up your own kitchen?" Alex just stands there, blinking at him.  

     "I'm making us breakfast seeing how anal Raphael is about people getting proper meals, and no I don't." he replies, buttering the toast.

     "Okay, so what's for breakfast?"

     "Loaded scrambled eggs." He uncovers the fry pan and scoops out some of the veggie, cheese and egg mix. "They're delicious." He informs her as she might be too hung over to appreciate it.

       "Looks good." Alex sits down compliantly. Luci hands her a tall glass of water mixed with a few grains of salt for hydration and a half dozen advil. To which she gives him a silent thank you.

       "So I know you'd prefer to just mope around the house all day feeling sorry for yourself for being the frightened rabbit you are and for dating my idiot brother, the over eager toddler chasing you. But I think it'd be much better to go spar in the gym and wait for a hunter or formerly possessed person to show up."

        "Well, it is always advisable to take up arms against the devil." Alex takes a bite of egg then pauses and picks out a bit of egg shell. He was sure he'd gotten them all out but being tired does things to his perception that he doesn't really like. 

         He does grin at her comment though. She actually has the audacity to tease him about it, though he knows she still fears him a bit. It's not funny but it does show a basic trust that he won't murder her for it that he really appreciates right now. 

         It would be so much easier to just... leave and find people who didn't know him and build up a life there. But it wouldn't last and he doesn't want a life with strangers he wants his brother and sisters and to fit back into their world and be the family they used to be only better. Even if that family includes those damn Winchesters. 

        Beyond that he wants to do things again, interesting things, important things, hard things, impossible things, great things. He absolutely does not want to be confined to this damn building babysitting broken humans and sheltering hunters who'll probably try to kill him on sight, that he's not supposed to kill back. And on top of that doing all this nothing in this mortal decaying limited body is just...

       "But," Alex adds after a few minutes of slow eating."Nick's  taking you out to the soup kitchen this afternoon. You're going to be feeding the homeless. Community service and such."

       "So, what you're going to just stay here and mope and let Courage ruin your carpet?" Luci nods to the door. Alex looks back and sighs at the mess, letting her hair fall in front of her face. There's a firm but respectful knock at the door. Michael, of course. Since Alex doesn't seem to want to do anything now but rest her forehead against the table as she waits for the asprin to kick in, Luci gets up and opens the door. 

        It is of course Michael with a burger king bag in his hand and a long black scar running down his arm.

        "What happened?" Luci grabs the the bag with one hand, tossing it back at Alex and takes hold of his arm with the other? "What is this?"

        "What happens when Leviathan try to destroy an  archangel in their vessels apparently. It doesn't hurt but it won't turn back so Raphael made me come back here to regroup while he fetches that obsidian blade. Like with Holy fire burns he should be able to surgically remove the scar tissue and rebuild it. Plus he wanted me to make sure Alex was eating." He moves past her and slowly goes over to Alex who's ignoring the bag wedged between her back and the chair as well as their hushed enochian conversation. "Good morning," He moves the bag to the table patting her back.

          "Good morning, Michael." she manages, not picking up her head. "Luci made me breakfast." she nudges the half eaten plate a bit. "Courage went on the carpet. Raphael usually takes him out and I overslept. Please don't yell at me, I think I might die." She says so incredibly piteously that even Luci feels a twinge of sympathy for a moment. Michael just touches her for head, healing her massive hangover. "Thank you." She doesn't sound all that much better though and doesn't look up.

         "It's okay."He reassures her, giving her his trade mark rub of the shoulder and pat on the back, that's usually reserved for Raphael. Clearly he had already made up his mind about having her as a sister in law. "I need to take Helel for a moment. If you need anything, let me know," She just gives a thumbs up, and he ushers Luci out of the apartment.

         "You know, I've got this. I'll take care of her for Raphael until you take care of the Leviathan. I know he doesn't trust me to do it, but I can make sure she eats and stays clean and let you know if she's sick or hurt."

          "She's not his pet, Helel. She needs a freind not a sitter." Michael opens the door to reveal an apartment full of brusied and bleeding norsemen. A familiar one with severe burns up his right arm and side.

         "Oh, Baldur," Luci greets him, cracking a smile at the burned god. "Fancy meeting you here. Looking good." He winks at the man. Yuri, looking more like Baldur junior by the day, stands next to him just glaring at Luci.  Michael gives him a reproachful look as well.

       "Have no fear, young maiden," Baldur strides over and gives a fairly smooth bow despite his injuries. "I will not raise arms against you while I enjoy your hospitality, nor would I lay hands on such a frail, sickly mortal shell, save to hold your lovely hand and offer a kiss of truce on your sallow cheek." Drittsekk. Though from the charming smile he gives, he must think Luci's female body also make a him an imbicile.

       "I'm sorry, I reserve kisses of truce for the winter solstice. Come back then, I'll meet you under the mistletoe." He replies sweetly.

         "Ooooooo." He hears from Thor before the god starts laughing, obviously appreciative of Luci's verbal smackdown of his brother. You'd think the god would be against the one who killed his father and brother and possibly alot of his freinds. Of course he is freinds with Gabriel so he must have a strong sense of humor.

       "Helel, behave yourself."

       "My apologies, clearly, you've been burned more than enough today as it is." Luci walks over to the kitchen to get something to drink.  "Why is my home filled with marauded norsemen? I thought you were hunting Leviathan with Raphael."

        "Michael seems to think we could use your assistance with tactics." The one he doesn't recognize, spreads the map out on the table. "You're the witch who created the tracking spell, correct?"

        "Helel, this is Beowulf." Michael introduces him. "He's a spirit on loan from Valhalla. Apparently Leviathan can detect and nuetralize angels, but not ghosts witches or pagan gods unless they reveal themselves."

        "They are practically the same thing." Luci comments and moves over to the map, bottle of water in hand. The gods of course take umbrage to that. But its all about soul power and faith, in truth. Several small groups of leviathan are starting to form where they were all scattered before. "Alright, who fucked up the hunt and alerted the Leviathan?" 

      "There was a conflict of leadership." Michael says cooly, not looking to Baldur. "And that's all that will be said about it."

       "No it won't be. I need to know everything that happened so I know what to plan for, so start talking." He crosses his arms. Michael sighs and snaps his fingers stopping time, and tells him. 

       Apparently the first mistake was Baldur thinking that Michael was anything like Gabriel and not taking what he said at face value. Michael and Raphael stayed behind far enough not to be detected while tracking their targets movement, while Baldur, Thor, Beowulf and Yuri tried to suss out exactly which person was actually leviathan in disguise. 

          Yuri was the one who located him, a nurse doing home care for an elderly woman. The second mistake was Yuri following Baldurs commands and informing his father at the discovery instead of Michael as he was supposed to.  He almost got eaten. Fortunately the world snake is far more massive than he appears and the leviathan was only able to take a chunk from his shoulder, much to its surprise.  Though but for Raphael monitoring them and Michael showing up in time to cleave the beasts head off, it wouldn't have taken many more. Thor and Baldur arrived just in time to discover that the old woman in the wheelchair was also a Leviathan.

        She threw Yuri at Michael, knocking his sword away and tried to eat Thor in the confusion. In the third mistake, Michael foolishly knocked Thor aside, thus Thor's injuries, getting grabbed by the leviathan and poisoned by it in the process, instead of retrieving his sword first and physically grappled with the beast. Baldur, then made the fourth mistake of trying to weild Michael's sword, which reacted badly, enflaming his entire arm and side, setting the building on fire. 

         Yuri and Thor got Baldur out while Michael fought the leviathan, managing to throw her and get his sword, only to find the she had dissolved into a storm drain and fled. Apparently, what they thought had been a single marker had just been fused together by constant proximity. Though those markers had caught alight burning the smaller map they were using entirely when the first Leviathan was shriveled in its human host by the heat of Michael's sword.

           "And where the hell was Raphael in all this? Why didn't you have him with you?"

           "I made him stay behind." Michael says simply. "I didn't know the kind of damage they could do to archangels on this plain. I wanted him unharmed and at full capacity in case I found out."

       "You know you probably wouldn't have been injured in the first place if you'd made Yuri stay behind with the map or at least had Raphael go with you when you went to save him." Luci points out, Michael's lack of reply is as good as an agreement.

        "Thor's a good fighter, if I can get him a blade instead of that hammer, he should do fine the next time. I don't think he took the threat seriously either. I won't be responsible for Baldur and Yuri again. Not together at least. Baldur's one who always thinks he knows best and always has to be in the lead." Michael frowns at the stilled norse god. Luci just rolls his eyes and refrains from comment. Apparently it's not enough as Michael shoots him a dark look.

       "I didn't say anything." He looks to his brother's Injured arm, gently touching it. There's no textural difference, it just feels almost cool. Coolness while Michael still has his grace just feels wrong. "Please don't die again." Luci tugs him forwards by the collar of his shirt and gives him a kiss. A few hoots and whistles from Beowulf and Thor let him know that he's successfully distracted his brother into dropping the time freeze, not that it was ever his strongest ability.

         Michael, of course, gets embarrassed and pulls away, which pisses Luci off a bit. But then he notices a bit of blackness under Michael's pulled away collar.

         "What..." Luci pulls it down further to reveal more blackness. 

           "It doesn't hurt and it hasn't reached my grace." He reassures her calmly.

          "It's spreading?"

          "Helel, Its fine." he puts a hand to Luci's cheek.

          "Don't talk like a Winchester. Take your shirt off let me see." He demands, grabbing the hem when Michael hesitates. 

        "Aren't you brothers?" Yuri asks cattily as Luci just rips the shirt at the seam.

       "Isn't Thor your uncle?" He shoots back. Apparently Yuri didn't know he knew about that. Michael relents and remove his shirt, the corruption encompassing almost his entire upper right side and shoulder.

        "Where the hell is that use.."He catches himself automatically saying what he usually did when Michael or Gabriel got hurt. Calling for 'that useless brat, Raphael' who's only fault in truth was that he wasn't there instantly. He's always so damn slow. Except with his love life apparently. Well, he's a different kind of slow in regard to that. That idiot.

          "They hardly stored that knife in the silverware drawer. It takes time get it." Michael informs him.

          "How could you be so careless?" He resists punching him only because he doesn't feel like braking his hand. "Get these idiots out of my apartment. Why did you even bring them here?"

              "We needed to regroup and I didn't want to take you from safety to assist with planning the next assault." Michael says almost reasonably.

           "Over protective bull aside, bringing someone I once killed and his son into my home is keeping me safe?"

         "They have codes of honor, laws of hospitality, their word means something. Can we please discuss this later and focus on our next attack?"

         "Nobody's doing any planning or hunting until you're healed and have some decent back up." Luci walks over to the table and throws a handful of salt and ash from the sugar bowl onto the map dispelling the tracking spell. 

         "Helel..." Michael looks pissed off now.

         "You know this is surgical work. These clowns aren't soldiers. Yuri especially. They aren't very good at subtle either. They needed Gabriel for that if you recall."

          "I don't recall her being exactly subtle in all those Loki stories." Michael says dryly, crossing his arms.

          "Well, comparatively." Luci can concede that much. "I hate to say it but if you're hunting, you need the Winchesters. They don't listen either but at least they know what they're doing. Not Castiel, though, he's still a fledgeling and will just get in the way."

         "He's a very capable fighter, Helel. You shouldn't just dismiss him simply because he's still learning to use his archangel abilities. Besides which they'll be nuetralized in close combat situations as it is."Another infuriatingly reasonable point.

        "I'm not dismissing him. I'm simply saying you don't send infants into battle no matter how precocious they are."

        "He's not..."  Michael stops suddenly and gives a slight smile. "My shining star, you almost sound worried about him."

        "What?" The accusation shocks and dismays him. "Why in the name of all that is would I be worried about that waste of intent."

         "Maybe you've finally developed some parental instinct." Michael teases. "I was hoping to maybe adopt an infant human, but he is your son, so that's even better."

              "You asshole." Though Luci can't help but smile a little at the teasing. Michael usually just keeps telling him to stop harrassing Castiel with that nonsense. There's a knock on the door.

           "That's probably Nick come to take me to do some community service. Let me get rid of him."

          "No. Go do what you need to do, I'll be fine." Michael lies, shamelessly. Granted he probably believes it, and Raphael will likely be able to take care of it, but Luci never expected Michael to die the first time either.

          "I'm not going anywhere while you're injured." Luci slips out the door, keeping view of the man from the aesir, and holds the door shut behind him. "An emergency's come up. I'm not doing it but take Alex. She broke up with Raphael last night and needs the distraction."

          The surprised look on Nick's face and his glance back to Alex's door tell Luci that the distraction worked. He slips back inside and locks and bolts the door. It was low and probably the most cheaply manipulative thing he could have done at the moment, but it had to be done.

         Of course, everyone's still there. Thor's raiding the fridge, tossing his brother and nephew/lover a beer. Raphael has finally arrived as well and is looking over Michael.

         "Where's all the real food?" Thor pulls out all the drawers. "What's the point of this thing if all you put in it is grass?" He holds up a bundle of green onions shaking it a little.

           "Michael doesn't need to eat, so thats usually all we have." Luci replies trying not to let the sight of Raphael starting to carve the corruption from Michael's vessel bother him.

          "Don't tell me the Devil's a veggie whats it. All that meat is murder stuff." Thor's an obnoxious cheeky bastard. He can see what Gabriel likes about him, even if he is a bit of an idiot.

         "Exactly. If I want meat, I go murder something. I don't exactly leave anything suitable for refrigeration behind" Luci winks at him. The redhead does seem to like to laugh. Baldur and Yuri just glare at the god, obviously remembering how little of Baldur was left behind. 

          "Brodr!" Thor hangs on the fridge door and toasts someone with his beer. "Where's the beef?" Luci looks back to see Gabriel point to Michael and Raphael. Thor just laughs some more that loud bellowing laugh that would bring down avalanche 500 miles away.

       "So what's this about skipping out on community service?" His little sister, his parole officer, places an arm around his neck. Of course she has to stand on a step stool to do it, making Thor spray beer out his nose. Luci glares at Michael, praying clearly the edict that they're his freinds, he's cleaning up after them.  

         "I'm not leaving when Michaels hurt. I'll make it up for a whole day and no just an afternoon."

         "For a week, in December, and also between the day after Christmas and New Years." That little shit decrees. "Or you can go now with Nick and April."

        "Fine. As long as we have this under control by then. Now will you get these... lovely members of your adopted family out of my apartment?" He forces himself to be polite as she still cares for the overgrown tulpas. Its the least he can do as he sure as he'll won't try to bond with them like Michael did. 

        "It's my apartment as well." Michael reminds her. Which technically it is as they are technically engaged, and his things are here. Especially his recliner, which is really the cincher. Even so, its still mostly Luci's.

        "Well, bridezilla, you're not eaten I see. Too bristly? Or was it the smell," Gabriel teases Thor, thumbing his nose at the god. 

        "Neither, you old horse fucker." Thor returns the gesture. Luci wonders what kind of torture and how much it would take to make him stop calling her that. "Mikey lopped his head off." Mikey? Thats even worse. "So no, not eaten. Have great hopes for tonight, though." He pops open another beer and drains it in one long drink. "Not bad, though fairly weak stuff."

       "You should try Raphael's special brew. It's enough to knock an archangel on their ass isn't that right, Raph?" 

          "No." Raphael is, obviously and predictably, in no mood to be teased. Oddly enough though, Gabriel doesn't press the subject and just watches him carve off the ruined flesh, healing the wounds as he goes. Yuri actually looks at his angelic uncle a bit impressed at his stoicism during the surgery. Baldur is trying not to.

       "I hate to break it to you Raph, but by the time you get his arm done therest of his body will be covered. Are you sure you're not a turtle?"

        "I want none of your nonsense right now, you infant. I'm going as fast as I can without loosing grace." he snaps.

        "Maybe loosing a little grace is the lesser of two evils here. Besides why are you so offended at being called a turtle. According to an article on cracked magazine, you are the best one." Rapael's response to this isto pause long enough to snap an iron plate bolted across Gabriel's mouth.

       "Raphael, you are officially my favorite everything." Yuri declares. Gabriel just gives them both some very old and elaborate obscene gestures. Michael just sighs and removes it.

       "Does borax do anything to it?" Luci asks. Raphael pauses again.

       "I don't know." He says quietly. Luci gets the bucket of borax dissolved in water from under the sink and a few clean soft sponges. 

         "May I?" he asks.

         "Yes." Raphael's quick agreement frightens Luci more than anything else about this. Michael nods as well. He puts the sponge in the water and wipes it along the leading edge on Michael's chestchest, the angel shoudlers stiffening in pain. It makes the flesh bubble and hiss and try to drip away, but he catches it with the sponge and it melts into nothing. There's a small patch of raw flesh, underneath, but Gabriel can fix that much very easily.

       Michael, ever the glutton for punishment, opts for the rip it off method and stands in the tub, so Raphael can just douse him with the mix entirely getting it all off at once. Luci's fairly sure he's showing of for the Aesir, at least in part, so he keeps his peace about how unneccessary it is to do it like that. 

       Raphael clearly agrees though he just brings up a bottle of what Luci assumes to be that stuff he got drunk off of at the convention that burned down.  Michael downs about half of it and hands it to Gabriel to hold because he's not thinking straight. 

       "I'll hold that." Luci takes it from her. The last thing they need is a drunk Gabriel. Drunk Raphael cosplaying as Gabriel was bad enough. The fumes from the thing are enough to make his eyes water unless he holds it at a

rms length. "What's in thing?" 

      "I wouldn't reccommend drinking it." Raphael warns, as if he thinks he would. "Humans need hours of herbal preparations to survive it."

       "Well I'm a god so," Thor reaches over and grabs it from him, immediately chugging it down. As none of the archangels interferes, Luci assumes he'll survive it.

       Raphael carefully pours the mixture over Michael's shoulder, making sure to get every inch of the backened flesh and beyond. Michael just clenches his fists as it bubbles and melts away. A quick rinse from the shower rinses the remainder of the luquidated flesh away. Michael's body breifly resembles one of those mannequins from the doctors where you see layers of skin and muscles and organs. 

         The sight peirces Luci deeply. Every second that passes before Raphael fixes him is worse than the last. Unexpectedly a thought strikes him, this is how he made so many people feel. Hurting their loved ones to punish them, manipulate them, just torture them.  Some of them, their love for each other was their only potentially redeeming quality. He hurt them with their virtues. He thought he was being clever and ironic. Maybe he was but the utter wrongness of it, the guilt, hits him worse than it has in a long time.

       "Oh, I see Baldur tried to use your sword." Gabriel comments leaving the bathroom as Thor stumbles out to drape himself on Yuri's shoulder.

       "You have got to try this." He puts the bottle up to his lips. But apparently its empty. "Rafafa.. fafallel. Ra.. what is his name again?"

       "Labbiel," Gabriel quickly says.

       "Will you stop with that Labbiel nonsense, you little brat! My nameis Raphael. It has always been Raphael and will always be Raphael."

       "Labuh.." Thor passes out on the floor before Yuri who doesn't bother to catch him.  Raphael sighs and snaps him sober and healthy. Yuri and Baldur as well. "What was that?" He gets up.

       "Will you be quiet, you're embarassing us," Baldur snaps. His brother ignored him, but it does piss off Gabriel.

       "So what happened? No, let me guess Mr. Perfect screwed everything up because he refused to acknowledge he didn't know what he was up against. Gee, didn't you die the last two times that happened?" She's obviously refferring to her and Hodr's plot which sent him to Hel, as well as Luci's assault that sent him and odin to the empty.

         "Raphael, you and Michael should kill Baldur next. We'll make it a family tradition. When Shelly grows up she can kill him too." Luci smacks his little brother's arm. For some reason he's not ignoring him so completely and utterly tonight and Luci intends to take full advantage.

         "If his foolishness harms or endangers Michael again, I will," Raphael says darkly.

         "Nobody is killing Baldur." Michael gives all three of them an even darker look.

        "Aw, come on Michael, its fun." Gabriel teases. Thor just laughs and goes back to the fridge for another beer.

        "Why are you laughing at this? They are openly discussing murdering your brother in front of you."Yuri punches his arm when he returns, making him step back a little. 

       "They're just joking. Meanly and deservedly, but a joke none the less. You two both screwed up big time and you know it."

        "I wasn't joking." Raphael informs them. 

        "Raphael..." Michael says warningly.

        "I wouldn't worry too much, Fadr. He was obviously left behind for a reason." The little idiot Yuri insults him. Luci automatically starts forwards to teach him some manners, but Michael puts a hand out to stop him. Gabriel's grabbed onto his shirt in the bargain. Raphael doesn't seem to care either way.

          "You needn't fear, my son would never hurt such a frail fragile waif of a girl." Baldur reassures Michael, slamming both Luci and Gabriel with that one comment.

          "I wasn't worried about Helel." Michael responds, taking his arm back.

          "Besides, Yuri, I keep telling you, we are angels, not men or women." Gabriel corrects him.

          "She is a mortal woman at the moment and has as little chance in a fair fight against my son as you do against me." Baldur defiantly stares down Gabriel who looks surprised.

          "Is that a challenge?" She asks.

          "Brodr, I'd reconsider that."Thor says simply, "You weren't around fpr the war with the venir."

            "I fail to beleive this spineless worm would have run from any fight he couldnt win by trickery if he were half the fighter I was. I'm not surprised to find Loki a woman, because he was never anything close to a man." At these words Thor gives up and turns away with a sigh of a brother resigned to letting his sibling learn something the hard way.

           "As if you would know what a man is," Gabriel shoots back, "So one lying fraud to another you accept your challenge. And Yuri." There's a snap of the fingers and Yuri's face and figure softens exchanges tell tale bulges. "So your honor doesn't interfere with your part."

         "What did you do?" Yuri grabs at his chest.

         "I turned you into a llama. What does it look like? Kids." Gabriel nudges Luci making him grin a little.

          "Turn my son back into a man this instant."   

          "I will turn MY son back when he's learned his lesson," 

          "Do you call this hospitality?" Baldur turns accusingly to Michael.

          "Jormungandr is unharmed. no one has been harmed in this apartment. If you wish to settle your differences in freindly, unarmed combat before we resume planning, we will take this to the training area downstairs." Michael gives everyone his firmest most commanding look. Baldur looks unimpressed. 

         "Never a dull moment, eh, Paseh?" Luci steps back, putting an arm around his little sisters shoulders.

         "You have no idea how long I've wanted this,"She returns the embrace with an arm around her brothers waist. "Go easy on Yuri, would you?" She asks quietly, not the least in jest. Luci just gives her a look. Not a chance. That brat is needs to learn a lesson, she said so herself. Its one thats way overdue.

n

        

 

       

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you missed it in devil pray, Lucifer started referring to Castiel as his son because he was made an archangel with remnants of Lucifer's grace left over from the possession. He does it largely to mess with him. Literally nothing short of murdering Dean pisses Castiel off more.


	10. Girls Night In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire and Krissy stop by to support Alex and show a couple hunters to the shelter.  
> Harahel gets dragged into the mix.  
> They all get plastered.

       "Thank you." Alex sighs as Nick pulls the truck up to the side of the mission. Courage happily wagging his tail in the passenger seat. "I did need to get out." She climbs up into the seat as her dog climbs onto Nick for a few scratches behind the ears.

        "Feeling better?"

        "A little."

        "I know breakups can be hard." Nick puts a hand on her shoulder.

        "We didn't break up. I just needed a little space, that's all. It's kind of going a bit fast." She buckles up. "We're just... taking a break while I get my head together."

         "So, what prompted this break?" He pulls put from the curb, heading back to the apartment. "Anything in particular or is this just the usual three to six month freak out?"

       "Usual?"

       "Sure. After three to six months, you start to come down off the initial rush of a new relationship and look at each other with more sober eyes. That's where the real relationship begins or ends, depending. Little things start to bother you that didn't. You think about things you didn't before, serious issues like children and careers and finances. Its not all a whirlwind of romance, you don't say I love you every day, or sleep together as often, you become more comfortable with your partner seeing the less glamorous aspects of your life and start to wonder, is this it? Is this what I want for the rest of my life?"

       "Or beyond." Alex adds. Til death do you part isn't exactly a consideration if you're with an archangel. Or even a hunter to be honest. It would be for eternity. Or it wouldn't and both thoughts feel equally terrifying.

       "Well, its not like he proposed." Nick tries to joke. She just looks over at him with distressed eyes. "He did?"

        "I threw up on the ring." She scrunches up her nose. "And then I freaked out and said we needed some time apart."

       "Do you want time apart?"

       "No. I don't know. I'm still not done freaking out. It's just so fast. I'm not even ready to think about this... Not really, I just... its going to change and I don't know how or when or where, but something's going to happen and I just don't know what, but it'll be bad. Extremely bad. Extremely supernaturally bad. Just like with Rhys." Though she knows Raphael's not the kind to have had a secret girlfreind predating their entire relationship, or turn out to be a vampire dating her just to humiliate her on behalf of someone trying to destroy her, she can't help but think there's got to be something lurking in Raphael's shadows.

         "Worse than being left alone in the apartment building with only a puppy and Lucifer for company?" Nick asks dryly.

       "Argubly no," she admits, "though she's really not so bad. She made me breakfast, as you saw. Trying to take care of her brother's favorite human when he can't, you know. Not really for my sake but still kind of sweet."

        "Wait, he cooked? I thought he'd made you make breakfast." Nick breifly looks over at her in surprise, not only because of the thought of Lucifer cooking some human breakfast, but because it looked so very terrible. 

       "No. It was actually pretty thoughtful and only sory of bad. She really can't cook." Alex laughs. "Eggshells, too much salt, she didn't get all the skin off the onions, and I'm fairly sure it was supposed to be an omlette. Having failed at those numerous times myself I can recpgnize it." She confesses. "And then Michael brought the crossaintwiches because he can't cook either, burns everything, but can admit it."

       "I actually assumed that Lucifer could cook." Nick says thoughtfully. "There was no reason to but there really wasn't much he couldn't pick up."

       "I don't think she really gives too much thought to food beyond it not being riddled with toxins and antibiotics and such. She's such a picky eater like Raphael was honestly, but don't ever point out any similarities between the two of them or he'll get all pissy for hours."

      "Do you blame him? His brother is the devil." 

      "I know, but she's trying to move past that and can't if it's cast up to her at every step. Just look at the breakfast, making sure her brother's human was fed and watered." Alex grins at the thought.

        "Looks like you have company." Nick comments, pulling up to the back door. Claire, Krissy and an okder more grizzled hunter and what looks like his son are at the entrance buzzing at the door.  Well, so much for leaving Lucifer at the desk.

       "Sorry about that. I had to run an errand. I don't know why Luci didn't answer."Alex gets out of the teuck and hurries over with the keys, Courage at her heels. "Is anyone hurt?"

         "No. Just tired and in need of supplies. " Krissy sighs." Sol called me as soon as we got home. Do we get a room or are we crashing at your couch and doing some man bashing over hard liquor and ice cream?"

          "I'm out of bith and nobody's getting bashed." Alex unlocks and with greay effort, pulls the door open.

          "Sticking a little, huh?" Nick examines the frame. It's made of blessed wood from an old alter and seasoned with holy oil. If any monster or pagan god gets in here, it's not through the door. There's also a small indentation in the floor that's filled with a glue bound salt line as well as a clever tile mosaiac in the floor that you can press a button and flip half the tiles to create or dissipate a demon trap. The door knobs, railings and decorative easy to take down wall fixtures are all cast iron.

        "Care for a breif tour?"Alex offers, "Or just straight to the dorms?"

        "You have to show them the pantry at least." Claire insists. "You would not believe how comprehensive it is."

        "Nobody gains access to the pantry but the guardians."Alex reminds her. "But I can show you where they are. You have to give the list of things you need and a copy of the recipe to Luthiel and Emmet and one of them will get it for you. They may require my approval for some items but I'm usually fairly easy to find. Come on, it's down stairs. There is an elevator and a stairwell.

       "I'll take the stairs." The father looks a little pale.

       "Haunted elevator." Krissy whispers, and follows them down the stairwell.

       "This place was largely designed by an unrepentant hedonist, so there's a pool, a gym, an armory... Donations are welcome, either cash or spell ingredients but we understand a hunter's situation doesn't always allow for that. However extended stays will require some form of compensation with labor at the very least. 

       "Dardiel and Judy are in charge of the armory. You just have to get your picture taken and sign for anything you take. We will also keep anything you need kept just the same and it wont be given to anyone without your express verifiable approval as determined by you. We would prefer you return anu items you use,  or at least call Luthiel to retrieve it, once you no longer need it or it breaks. Almost all items are first come, first serve. The rarer items being the exceptions, then it will be given out based on need." The introduction comes out rather smoothly now that she finally has someone to show around. Hopefully she won't forget anything.

       "That's the gym, right over there." She points to her left. "Its all pretty basic classic, non energy dependant stuff to try and keep our operating costs down. On our right is the gun range. The entire right side is soundproofed. The pool is next to the gym and yes it does have a hot tub and sauna."

         "You're shitting me," Father hunter  looks at her.

         "Nope. Told you, designed by a unrepentant hedonist." She opens the door revealing the olympic length swimming pool, hot tub and of course Bethany coming out of the sauna with nothing but a towel wrapped around her hair. "This is Bethany. She was possessed by a demon in the late sixties, healed, exorcised, and brought here by the archangel Michael a few months ago just before he demolished most of Hell."

          "Angels don't exist." The hunter scoffs, ignoring Bethany who heads straight to Nick.

          "Where the hell have you been these last fifteen years?" Claire raises an eyebrow at him. 

          "Northern Canada." The boy replies. "Hunting stuff."

          "Ah." Krissy nods sagely. "The ever elusive 'stuff'. Did you kill many?" But the boy just ignores her, distracted by Bethany.

          "Hey there, stranger." She takes the towel off shaking out her long brown hair. "Doing maintenance? You should come by my apartment. I have some holes that need filling."

          "File a maintenance request and I'll have someone take a look." Nick replies smoothly dismissing her as he holds back Courage. "Will you be attending group this evening?"

           "Of course. Oh, there's some weird thudding noises in the walls." She mentions and walks past them all. "Peace out."

          "I'll have to have someone check the pipes." Nick sighs.

          "Oh, man." The young hunter murmers, watching her go. Claire nods in agreement, doing the same. Krissy whacks her arm.

         "What? I'm in a relationship, not dead," she protests.

         "The women's dorms are on the second floor and the men's are on the third. Familygroups have the fourth. Employee apartments are on the fifth with a greenhouse on the roof. That belongs to Raph... Raphael so get permission first. He's also taking care of the pantey and general house keeping at the moment, but he's joining his brother Michael hunting Leviathan so if you know anyone who wants a less active role in the hunter community but still wants to keep a hand in, send them my way." Alex continues with the tour.

       "The doors at the end of the hall lead to both the pantry and armory, which are much further down, but you'll find Lutiel and the rest just inside. This is the training room," Alex opens the double doors breaking the sheild of silence to reveal cheering norsemen and archangels surrounding the center mat where two talk women are fighting. "Where we have satan battling the world snake. Hello, Yuri. Pissed off your father, I see." She sighs as Luci manages to hurl him.. or her at the moment, into the wall next to the already shattered com system. That explains alot.

         "Alex," he acknowledges her before returning unsteadily to the floor. Luci looks a bit worse for the wear herself. Is she really fighting Jormungandr while human? And winning? Maybe having Luci to train her to fight isn't such a bad idea.

        "What the hell?" Father hunter pulls out his gun as he surveys the scene. "John?" He sound like he's seeing a ghost "John Winchester?" Oh that's right, Alex keeps forgetting Michael's wearing a copy of John Winchester circa nineteen seventy whatever. Claire and Nick gently take him aside as his gun turns into a pwater pistol.

        "That's enough, Yuri. He's thrown you into that wall seven times already." Bree pleads. "I'll put you back the way you were just enough is enough." Though she's looking more at Lucia  she says this. No norseman worth his salt would give up before utter defeat especially when urged to by a female parental figure. 

          "I am not beaten yet. Its not over until one of us yeilds or is unconscious and I will not yeild to my father's murderer." Or was it fathers'? Alex isn't sure, though Yuri may not be either. Its hard to say who will fall first though. 

         "Alright. I yeild." Luci says simply much to everyone's astonishment, and its down heavily on the mats. "You win."

         "What? No!" Yuri is enraged by this. "You can't... you can't just..."

          "Of course, I can, and I did. I give up, you win, you're the winner." She gestures to him, and lies down. "If you want me to pass out first? Give me a moment, I'm pretty sure I can do that."

       "So you're as big a coward as your little sister, then. Afraid to take it to the finish." Yuri taunts, there's a deadly flash in Luci's eyes that Yuri doesn't see. Alex recognizes it from when Claire attacked Raphael. The fact that she swallows it down again is more proof than any of her sincerity towards her reform.

         "Yes." Luci says lightly. "You got me. I'm a coward and the victory is yours. Just, give me a moment and I'll clear the floor for your father and your sperm donor."

         "No, you won't!" Alex says sharply realizing what's about to happen. "I'm not having a god and an archangel duke it out in the basement. Do you see what you've done to the walls already? And the intercom, you just put that in. Not to mention that it left Krissy and Claire and their freinds stuck outside. What if they'd been hurt or in danger?"

        "And who exactly are you to make such demands of devine beings?" Baldur asks cooly, though he knows exactly who she is, given she dated Rhys for two years.

        "I am the goddamn building manager, that's who. This is my domain and you will respect that. This is a place of healing and sanctuary not an arena for you to resolve your greivances. Now if you don't live here, you need to leave. Now." She looks him firmly in the eyes.

        "You heard the woman," Thor puts a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let's go." Alex reaches her hand back for Claire's mistletoe hair clip, a gift from her girlfreind. Claire draws the angel blade.

        "I knew my son liked you for a reason." Baldur gives a charming grin, and vanishes. Thor takes the wavering, infuritated world snake and they vanish along with some ghost in the corner. 

         "That goes for you too, Bree."Alex hands the clip back to Claire. "I'm not in the mood for your nonsense. At all." Good lord, she can hear how much she sounds like Raphael with that. "If you're going to treat this sanctuary as your own little playhouse, then you need to find another manager. How do you expect hunters and the supernaturally traumatized to come here and feel safe if there are archangels and members of the aesir tearing up the building underneath them?" Alex slams the doors closed and turns back to the hunter and his son, clearly having trouble absorbing the situation. "I am so sorry about this. I promise you, you're safest here. Come on, let me show you to the dorms."

        "I've got that, Courage is getting hungry; you should take him upstairs to eat. I can answer the rest of their questions." Nick hands her the leash.

        "Are you sure?"

        "I'm sure."

        "Alright, then, I'll leave you to Nick. He helps with maintenance and also helps head the support group for the formerly possessed." Like most older hunters, Father hunter's expression turns to one of skeptical disdain.

       "We're good." He nods.

       "It's not just talking, we also give a run down of anti possession charms and techniques for regaining control of your body should you become possessed for newcomers." Nick informs them. "Any insights would be more than welcome."

      "Huh." This makes the old man a bit more thoughtful.

      "Alright girls. You know the way,"Alex picks up Courage, indulging while she still can and lets him smother her with kisses, just moving her mouth away from him. 

       "Hot damn, girl!" Krissy punches the back of her shoulder. 

       "Looks like someone took a level in badass."Claire grins.

        "Please, like I could have done that without knowing full well that Michael and Bree would have my back if I needed it." Alex gives a shakey laugh and leans back against the elevator wall, her knees feeling slightly weak. "Mind if I pass out now?" She puts down Courage, who promptly makes a mess in the elevator. "Stupid dog."

 

       "I can't believe he yeilded like that." Krissy grabs a handful of popcorn. "Isn't Satan supposed to be a pride fueled beast of something?"

        "You know he did it for Bree."Claire shakes her head and pops the dvd in.  

        "Yeah, she really does love her little sister." Alex smiles, drinking her glass of wine, Courage curled up in her and Krissy's lap.

        "He's sucking up to his parole officer, that's all." Claire scoffs. alex feels more like drinking some more wine than she does like arguing about the devil, so thats what she does.

         "At least Raphael wasn't part of that disasater," Alex rests her head on the back of the sofa, scratching behind Courage's ear with her wine free hand. Krissy gives a little laugh. Alex looks over to her.

        "Yes, he was. The coward just dissappeared the second the the door opened and he saw or heard you." Claire snorts.

        "Yeah, I caught that too." Krissy adds. Alex feels more relieved than annoyed. She is so not ready to face him yet.

        "I probably shouldn't have yelled at them like that. Knowing Yuri at least, he probably acted like a total brat towards Bree and Luci. Baldur, too, most likely. Thats the only way Michel would have allowed it."

        "Was it just me or did he look a little out of it?"Krissy asks. Alexshrigs. She was more concerned with the structural damage than anything else at the moment. Maybe they should have put the training room on the roof.  "Who was big red?"Krissy asks interestedly. 

       "That's Thor. He's married and is Yuri's lover, so don't even think about it." Claire informs her.

        "Wait, isn't Yuri Loki's son but not really and is Baldur's son who's Thor's half brother?" Krissy adds. Alex tries to work it out but can't quite figure outwhat Krissy said exactly. "So isn't Yuri Thor's nephew?"

         "Once removed or something I think. Pagans are weird. Besides, Michael and Luci  are lovers and they're brothers. Brothers? Siblings? What the hell are they really? Is Michael really a girl? I would really kind of love that to be true, because she is so badass and kicks norse ass up and down valhalla." Claire tries to press buttons to make it work but it won't.

       "They're really angels, but yes, Everybody thinks Michael is best described as feminine and not masculine. And its not exactly... look it really weirds me out that whole thing so can we please just drop it." Alex wrinkles her nose. Claire bangs onthe dvd player. "Hey don't break my stuff, you lush."

         "You shut up, you wino." Claire shakes it a little.

         "Did you try turning it off and on again?" krissy asks. "Unplug it. See if that helps." Claire unplugs it and tries again. It does not in fact turn on while unplugged.

        "Fine, we'll just watch cable." Claire changes the channels.

         "We don't have cable." The look of horror on Claire's face exemplifies why she is Bree's best freind and not Alex. "We like to do other things like talk or read or play games or have hot freaky sex just like everywhere." Alex groans thinking about.

         "Liar. You know you're not any freakier than I am." Krissy pokes her cheek.

         "I'm not as freaky as you are."

         "Psst. I'm not actually freaky." Krissy whispers. "I just like making men incredibly uncomfortable."

           "I find a sharp knife pressed against their neck usually does the trick for me." Claire picks up the dvd player and unplugs and replugs the things. The speakers make a god awful screetching sound.

          "Hey! Tell Hara to keep it down. We're not all special snowflakes here." Alex covers her ears.

         "Thats not enochian!" Claire yells pulling the plugs again. "That's just noise."

          "How can you tell?" Alex goes to take a drink but Krissy's stolen the bottle.

          "You always have such good stuff. All the time." Krissy appraises it. "And its cheap ass crap brand stuff too. Does he zap it or what?"

          "He doesn't zap things. He snaps things and he doesn't like to snap food because its all ways the same. He just always manages to find the diamonds in the rough." Alex stares at the bottle starting to pout. "Ah! I'm such an idiot! What am I doing? I don't know what I'm doing here. Why did he propose?"

         "I don't know but i think maybe he might want to marry you? Kind of sort of maybe?" Krissy suggests. Claire just ignores them and their conversation, focusing on the dvd player instead, removing the top of the casing.

     "Oh I see the problem. They have all these wires stuck in here."

      "We've only been together. I don't even know how long we've been officially together or officially anything. Itll just kind of bwwrrruusssshh!" She gestures with her hand.

      "Exploded?" Krissy guesses.

       "Yeah, no. I dunno. Its just boom we're lovers, boom we're fake pretend married, boom we're living together, boom we have a dog. Nobody asked me. Nobody asked me if I wanted to be kidnapped by vampires and raised all weird and do horrible things to feed my family. Nobody asked me if I wanted archangels falling in my lap left and right and now Satan.

        "Nobody asked if i wanted my life turned all upside down stupid crazy in love with some all powerful being who loves me more than anything and is just gods perfect creation and makes everything wonderful and just all the time is just everything I could want ever in any body. And so you know when it goes bad, it going to go so very horribly bad and I can't... i just can't..." Alex buries her face is Krissy's shoulder. "I want to have his baby." Comes the muffled moan. Krissy just pats her back. "I want a little Raphael i can dress like eeyore and have scowl at shelly when she's as crazy like her mom."

         "You slept together before shelly was born, so really you're what, with that murdering bastard nine months?" Claire works on clearing out the dvd player.

         "And its not like you just met then, either." Krissy keeps patting Alex's back. "Maybe its not really too fast, maybe you're just scared."

        "But we slept together and then got separated and tortured and then he was just gone and that doesn't count. And I just don't know. Im not Ready. I mean i just broke up with rhys ten months ago or something and ... and... Aaaaahhh I don't know." Alex grabs onto Krissy's shirt pulling it over her face.

         "Hey, Claire, really though, if he didn't kill your father, you'd like him right?" Krissy asks.

         "Goddamn it!" Claire smashes the dvd player against the floor.

         "We need someone nuetral who knows him but doesn't like him but who didn't have parents killed by him either but doesn't hate him." Krissy tries to pull her shirt back, "Hara! Haraheel! Its an emergencyyyyy! We need you! Shhh, close your eyes. Claire close your eyes do you want to go... oh." Krissy pouts, a bit put out as Harahel appears in the vessel she borrowed for thanksgiving.

      "What is it? Whats the emergency?," Hara looks around.

        "The damn dvd player is broken." Claire gets up, kicking the wreckage.

        "What?" Is the blank faced reply.

        "No no no, thats not it I promise." Krissy gets up pushing Courage to the floor and sliding out of her shirt since Alex won't let go and just falls face first into the sofa. "Raphael proposed to Alex and she freaked out and dumped him." 

         "What?" Hara has that deer in the headlights looks she gets when the archangels are mentioned, orshe finds herself thrust in the middle of someone's personal romantic problems. "What... what can I do about that?"

         "And... we need an unbiased angelic opinion about all this stuff." Krissy smiles winningly.

         "My unbiased angelic opinion is that it is beyond innappropriate and just absurd to call an angel down from heaven to ask it to give you relationship advice and fix a dvd player!"

          "You know you weren't in heaven you have the stench of someone elses stacks all over you. Does heaven you've been in another library? Does it? Huh, you bibliowhore?" Krissy dusts Hara's shoulder off.  The angel just scowls at her, not the least amused, or at all intimidating. Harahel the timidest angel.  "We're not asking for advice just your opinions thats all."

         "There is nothing about this situation I could possibly give an opinion about. I can't believe you're asking me this. I'm leaving. Goodbye." But before Hara can vanish, Krissy hurls herself onto the angel, clamping her arms and legs around the vessel.

         "No! You have to stay! We need you! Please! Pleeeeeaaase...."

         "Are you drunk?" It finally occurs to Harahel to ask. 

          "Yes, would you like to join us?" Krissy beams up at her.

          "All of you drunk?" Hara looks around. "Do you want to be sober?"

          "No way!" "Don't you dare. It took all evening to get this blasted." Claire and Krissy protest.

          "I just want to die." Alex moans.

           "Raphael proposed marriage?" Hara asks, her curiosity getting the better of her as Krissy heads to the fridge. 

           "Yes. There was a lovely grey ring. Wutzot burnit something." Alex turns her head to look at the angel.

          "Wurtzite Boron Nitride?" Harahel clarifies her expression just melting into a puddle of squee when Alex nods.

           "So what, that's special to angles?" Claire crosses her arms.

          "No, but its just... wurtzite boron nitride is the strongest thing on earth stronger than diamond. And its what our father used to make Raphael's core, the heart of his very being."

           "Uhhhhnnggg." Alex reburies her face. Harahel looks confused. "Nooohohooo."

             "Alex threw up onto the core of his very being." Claire informs her with a grin riddled with schadenfreud. 

            "Here's some stuffs you can drink. Angels only."Krissy takes a bottle out of the freezer andpours a shot glass full.

             "Yeah he started making that when Lucifer moved next door." Alex commenta.

               "Lucifer is your neighbor?" Harahel turns  pale. Krissy holdsout the drink.

          " Here. Some liquid courage. Cmon. Youll like it." 

         "Harahel takesa sip. She does not like it.


	11. Girls Night Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci shepards the drunk girls.

      "What!" Luci finally gives in and grabs the ringing phone.

        "Luce,,. Canna billin. M'out hara'n grls, strip club and ufumblistoc overpass narchereedem s condoms.. sketty.oh's. Okay?"

       "What?" He blinks, not entirely sure he's actually awake. Dreams are incredibly strange things. "Who is this?" He pulls the phone away from his ear to check. "Alex? It's two in the morning. Are you..." the phone goes dies on him. He forgot to plug it in. It doesn't matter. She's obviously drunk and since the bars are closed now she won't get drunker.

       He turns over to go back to sleep but can't. If Alex is hammered enough to drunk dial the devil, she's obviously in no state to be left anywhere with any body at any time. He should call Michael and let him take care of it. No, no, Michael's still a little buzzed from earlier and he's with Raphael. There's no way to tell him without Raphael knowing and Alex would definitely not appreciate that.

         Of course why the hell should that matter? Let Raphael see the little ape drunk off her ass.  Who knows maybe he'll decide that's not what he wants to marry after all. Though, she was pretty plastered the night of the concert and he didn't seem to be more than mildly concerned for her emotional wellbeing. It would still lead to trouble though, especially as it's a good bet that Claire is there. 

       Maybe Gabriel? Hell, no, she's still all pumped from repeatedly taking down Baldur repeatedly in front of the entire aesir with one leg and no tricks. That was fun to watch. She ended up hogtying him with his own tunic and painted him with insults using hisown blood. Of course it raised the question among the aesir of why, by odins beard, if she could fight like that, didn't she?

       The simple answer of course was because its obvious she was trained by Michael and when using a weapon it would have been easy to recognize she was an angel. All three of the other Archangels were better than she was and thats who she was hiding from. So little to no fighting. Outside a few freindly brawls. You could see the entire aesir reassesing their opinion of her. Not neccessarily favorably, but they definitely had to admit she was as much a warrior as any of them.

        So, no, she'd just end up taking them somewhere the bars were still open and maybe europe and then who the hell knows when they'd be back or in what condition. So really all thats left is to do it herself. Or ask Castiel but he'd rather deal with a thousand drunk humans than that.

        Claire's car is still parked outside, so wherever they went it was either on foot or in a taxi. It's not hard to break into and hotwire the antique station wagon. Alex said something about an overpass. They're not at the one near the park, or the one after that. Why are drunk humans so strange? He's never understood that. And why is Alex getting drunk in the first place?

       Maybe because of that scene earlier. She was actually fairly impressive, scolding the archangels and norse gods like they were misbehaving children. And of course that coward Raphael ducked out the second they heard her voice. Poor little guy. He...

      "Holy fuck!" Luci swerves as something bursts against his windsheild covering it. He hits the breaks but still crashes into the nearby telephone pole seconds later. "Ow!" He steqightens up, his refusal to use the shoulder belt let the impact slam his forhead against the steering wheel. A little bit of blood starts dripping into his eyes just in time for the airbag to go off, slamming him back against the seat.

       "Is that my car?" He hears when the ringing in his ears stops and he punctures the still inflated bag. He slowly gets out of the car, a little unsteady on his feet. Claire, Krissy and Alex are half walking, half falling down the embankment to the main road as Luci inspects the winsheild. Its not broken and it looks like its covered with a broken condom and spaghettio's?  What in the name of all that is..."

       "Luci. R yuwokay?" Alex asks, scootching down the slope on her bottom. "I tol yu to look fer billing." She sounds reproachful. Look fer... oh look after the building. Well, that was reaponsible of the lush.

       "I couldn't understand you. I thought you might be in trouble."Luci snaps. Its only then that he notices the road is littered with spaghettio's and broken condoms. "What are you doing?"

       "Target practice." Krissy states proudly. "Hara's really good with ranged weapons. We were just throwing condoms full of spaghettios at coming cars but Hara kept shooting them before they could hit anything with this awesome bow and arrow stuff things." She mimics the pose

       "You wrecked my car?" Claire sounds so indignant, much to Luci's annoyance.

      "No, you wrecked your car." He shoots back, "Or whoever threw that. Everyone in the car. Now. I'm taking you all home before someone dies. If you want to wait for that to happen, I'd be happy to kill one of you right now." Alex meekly sits in the back seat, its just a dent in the bumper and the engine's still running.

     "Hara!" Krissy yells wandering around the empty road in circles. "Hara, where are you?"

       "I'm getting my arrows." Comes the overly dignified reply. "These are historical relics and I can't leave them in the woods."

       "You missed the last one."Claire shouts as well. "But my car is here so we have to go home now."

        "I can take us home,"

        "No way! You suck at flying drunk you lush." Krissy falls down heavily onto her behind."Eewww."she laughs, wrinkling her nose. "I'm covered in spagghettio's. Haraaa, help." 

        "I'm... oof." The angel, still in the male body she wore at dinner the day before trips and tumbles down the slope, breaking the antique bow and quiver, and the arrows she went to collect. "Oops. I'll fix that later. "They vanish back to wherever she got them from and Harahel staggers to her feet. Claire climbs into the back seat with Alex.

       "I see you either found some of Raphael's special brew or broke into a liquor store, Harahel." Luci comments as the angel helps pull Krissy up and shoves her in the back seat. "I know you're a librarian, but when I'm a better guardian angel than you are, there's a problem,"

         "You..." Harahel turns to him, as if noticing him for the first time, and points an accusing finger at him. "I have a few things to say to you Mister... Missy...whatever..,"

       "Yeah, you tell him, angle cakes." Krissy cheers from the car. This should be interesting.

         "You! Are a selfish stupid asshole, you ignorant goat licker." The insult just makes Luci raise an eyebrow. "You were so great and wonderful and beautiful and perfect and smart and... and brave and strong and talented and you... you were so very bright." The lesser angels eyes begin to water. "You had everything and everybody loved you so much and you just... ruined everything. I lost my favorite song to you and for what? Why? Why couldn't you just leave them alone? I loved you so much and you took everythingvthat mattered from me and I don't even understand why. I hate you, you horrible imperfect lying liar."

          And the few tears that escaped her eyes, turn into torrents as Harahel cries into her hands like a wearly fledgeling. The girls quickly trip and stumble their way back out of the car to hug the angel and pet his hair, telling her it's alright.

        "I was wrong. I'm sorry." Luci wipes the blood from his eyes. This just seems to make Hara angry again and she pushes the girls away.

        "I don't care! It's all still broken and so are you."

        "I've been broken since before you were creates, paseh. I was never what you thought I was. It was just shadow and illusion. Helel ben Sahar was nothing but an empty mirror."

       "No."Hara stumbles forward, poking Luci in the chest. "You were wonderful and you know it. You were the best of us. I hate you so much." But the angel throws her arms around her brother's neck. "I just wish you'd just come home and be good and say your sorry and make everything okay again. You can fix it if you want to. I know you can." She pleads, before going limp. Luci barely manages to catch her, though hitting the pavement wouldn't actually do her any harm.

      He's definitely going to have to talk to Michael about making sure Raphael doesn't leave that crap lying around where impressionable young librarians can get hold of it. 

           When they get back, to the apartment Krissy insists on dragging unconcious Harahel out of the passengers seat, and manages only to twist her ankle on the curb. So Luci hoists his sibling up over his shoulder while Claire and Alex manage to help Krissy up the stairs all the while singing 'closing time' so badly it makes the crowded elevator ride somehow even worse. 

       "A'right evvybunny."Alex announces as they burst into her apartment. "You two gittha bed. Hara has the couch and... I... um.." she looks around the apartment trying to figure out where she'll sleep.

       "All three of you can fit on that bed." Luci gently places Hara down on the couch.

      "No! She kicks!" Krissy shoves Claire away falling down again. "Imma stay with Hara." She crawls over to the couch, going between Luci's legs. "Haraaaa." She starts shaking the angel's shoudler. "Cmoooon. Haraaa. Ditch this looser! I want you inside me!!!"

        "Pretty sure she'll need the body for that."Claire comments as Alex hangs onto her, laughing.

        "Shattup. You know wattai mean." Luci.moves back out of the way juat in time to avoid being hit by her careless gesture. "T's my angel. Mine! Haraa!" She resumes shaking the unconscous body.

         "Alright thats enough."Luci pulls her away, dragging her back over to Claire and Alex. "Bed. Now."

         "Yur not the bossa me!"

         "Yeah who died and made you king?" Claire helps Krissy up.

         "If I have to kick your ass again, Novak, I will. Now move." he points to the bedroom door.

         "Can't catch all of us." Claire runs behind the kitchen island. When Luci turns to her, she feels something wet and slimy burst against her back and drip down into the back of her pants. Those little shits.

 

        

         


	12. No Sympathy for the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reaching his limit, Luci breaks up with Michael.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for another chapter. Had a writing spree with life of virtue and writers block for this. But you can never stay away from Luci for long.

    It occurs to Michael, belatedly, that the sparring matches between his siblings and Baldur and his son most likely weren't the best in terms of public relations. Granted more of the aesir enjoyed it, and there was no real chance of either of his siblings actually being defeated, but it didnt help Gabriel's relationship with Yuri any. If anything it made things worse. 

     Though the aesir especially loved watching him spar with Raphael, with seeing Raphael fight Gabriel a close second. Seeing her get her ass beat by her brother seemed very cathartic. The best thing about the new valhalla being in the abyss was that they could do it in their true forms with their preferred weapons. It ended in Raphael being taken into the fold ad a brother, which was appreciated by Raphael if not desired. After seeing his true form was still dark and earthy in nature they started referring to him as 'The Moor' which was not, if only for the pun. 

         Gabriel's response was to turn the entire aesir deep brown for the night, or at least until Raphael beat his ass for treating skin color like a punishment. So then she insisted that they adress him by name or she's get creative. Being the little shit she is, she then proceeded to tell them he went by either Raphael or Labbiel. Raphael hastily assurred them that by calling him Labbiel they were in actuality requesting to be speared from orifice to orifice by a blunt rod, a request he would happily oblige. It was probably the fact that Gabriel didn't utter the name again that really made them take it seriously.

        Then there was that one valkyrie Lock or something, who kept flirting with Raphael all night. Despite his obvious disintrest, his effort not to be rude to his hosts left him vulnerable to his annoyance. Gabriel found it funny and didnt do anything and Michael wasn't exactly sure what to do about it himself. She just hung all over him until she asked him to tell her the single most important thing a woman should know about the male body. Which was an incredibly dumb thing to ask.

        Of course Michael didn't quite understand Raphael's chosen response or why it made Gabriel Thor and the previously glowering Rhys laugh so hard they fell off their chairs.  Lock didn't seem to understand either beyond the fact that if Gabriel was laughing it was likely at her expense, and stormed off. Michael does understand the role of mitochondria in cellular function and that it can be accurately described as 'the powerhouse', but its hardly specific to the make body or the most important thing to know. Michael just does not understand his siblings sometimes.

       "Are you sure you wouldn't prefer to stay here with us?" He asks Raphael as they step back to his and Helel's apartment. Raphael gives him a look.

       "You must still be a little drunk or you wouldn't ask me that." His lityle little brother walks over to a sketch framed on the wall of Gabriel smiling at a towel wrapped Shelly in a fairly classic pose. "You're very good at this. When did you decide to start drawing things?"

          "When Alex suggested I stsrt a journal. Somed things I couldnt put in words so i just... tried to draw them. The first few were almost as bad as my cooking, somehow, though peice meal the individual elements looked fine and I didn't know why. But I just looked up techniques and critiques in my spare time and it started coming together." Michael shrugs. "Aside from the Winnie the Pooh series, this is his favorite so far. "

          "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Your battle plans were always very comprehensive and the placement of the stars are just lovely."

        "You know I was just followung dads blue prints for most of those." Michael shrugs it off. "They're not as good as your photographs, but I kind of enjoy it. All the styles of portraying even just a single thing ares o interesting. A way of seeing, a way of feeling, a way of speaking. I don't really have my own way of doing anything yet. I'm just mimicing everyone else's.

      "Helel says there's nothing wrong with that. That unless I know what can be done or should be done and how well I fit into any of them, I can't really carve my own place. You can't learn what rules to keep and which to break until you've at least tried to keep them all first. Thats when it time to try breaking them all. Granted it's not a philosophy I agree with outside the art world, but inside it, it's a fairly benign concept."

        "As much as I hate it, I suppose I can't disagree." Raphael tightens his lips, the fact that he can't grating at him as much as the moment when Hlokk was flirting excessively when he actually wished Lucifer was there to help him out of the situation. "Besides, you have time to find your voice. Are you sticking to two dimentional art forms? Or will you try three dimensional."

          "Two for now. I really can't compete with your caverns. That one in france still takes my breath away, even with all the natural changes. Though I know you designed it with that in mind, making it more four dimensional art than three. You really should try to make something like that again." Michael suggests. 

        "You know I can't. Not on that scale. I don't even know what I would do if I could. Honestly I'm really more interested in cooking at the moment. Not that I have anyone to cook for right now." Raphael looks so dejected, Michael gives him a breif hug. 

        "You're sure you're alright staying up in heaven." Michael finally remembers the honeyed mead Thor sent home with him for Helel and puts it in the fridge.

       "Yes. Alex needs her space. And I don't have classes until january, so wheb you don't need me, I'll just..." Raphael just shrugs, not sure what to do with himself, though obviously letting him just mope in his room waiting to hear from Alex isnt a good idea. 

      "Why don't you travel? Go to India and visit the nagaraja Mucilinda, discuss medicine and meditation. Thor says its the only reason Yuri hasn't murdered him in his sleep. Meditation, not medicine." Michael looks down as he almost steps on the open, empty violin case by the oven. Helel alwyas puts his violin away. He certainly never leaves it or the case dirty. There are a few drops of blood on it, as well as some small dried bits of circle shaped pasta and sauce. 

        Michael quickly walks over to the bedroom. Helel's not there, though the beds a mess and his phone is plugged into the wall. His wallet and pants are gone and there's no trace of his violin in the apartment. On his phone there's a breif call from Alex around two am but thats it.

        "What's wrong? Where's Lucifer?" Raphael asks, coming to the bedroom door.

        "I don't know." Michael goes back out to the living room. Helel's shoes are by the door covered in blood and pasta as well, though mostly pasta. He tries to discretely check Alex's apartment but its warded from view. "Stay here." He instructs his brother and walks across the hall to knock on the door. There's no answer. The door is locked. He breifly wonders if he should break it down before Raphael hands him the keys.

        The door swungs open to reveal a scene neither of then is prepared for. The entire visible apartment is littered with splotches of pasta circles and sauce and broken condoms. Claire and Alex are passed out on the floor, cuddled together between the kitchen and coffee table. Courage is draped over them both. Nearby on the couch krissy has wrapped her entire body around Harahel, occaisionally murmering a possessive 'my song' in enochian. The angel seems to be unconcious as well. There's a broken partially dissembled dvd player by the tv.

       Helel is sitting on a stool by the island, one arm resting on the counter with his violin bow held loosely in his fingers, his head on the same arm.the violin is on the floor with a crack in thw case and a broken string. His clothes are covered in the same mess as the apartment but with dried blood from a gash on his forhead above two black eyes and a bruised swollen nose. 

          "Courage, no." Raphael rushes over to try and stop the dog, who upon waking and seeing his master decides to try and eat a broken condom. This breaks the spell of confusion and he kneels down by Alex and Claire, to make sure they're alright. "What did you do?" Raphael demands as Helel's eyes start to blink open again. Annoyed at the open ended accusation, Helel just flips him off before Michael can reproach the angel.

        As he's closest to them, Michael relieves Krissy of her bruises and fixing the elevated blood alcohol level as Raphael does the same for the ither girls.  He considers leaving the heavenly librarian to reap the consequence of her indulgence, but brongs her back to sobriety anyway before moving on to his lover.

       "Just so you know," Helel angrily brushes away Michael's hand before he can heal him "I deserve a damn medal for this, not a knee jerk accusation. I'm going to bed, you can both just fuck off." He storms off back to the apartment a bit unsteadily, leaving Michael even more confused. What did he do?

         "Helel..." Michael goes after his brother. "Don't be foolish, you're injured, just let me..." he barely manages to stop before the door can slam into his face and break. He takes a deep breath to try and calm himself before going in, but in those few seconds Helel's scratched a sigil on the door to keep out archangels.

        "He actually has a fairly serious concussion. You should probably send someone to get him out so you can heal him. " Raphael snaps the girls into bed. Michael turns back to stare at his little brother.

        "Why didn't you..." Michael cstches himself before he starts to yell. "Next time, you heal the most injured party first, Raphael. Regardles of your personal feelings about them. Understood? Just because you're upset about Alex that's no reason to take it out on your brother." Whatever Raphael was about to reply before that last sentance, he just grabs the dog leash from the wall and gives him a withering glare instead.

         "I'm taking my dog for a walk." He vanishes with Courage. Harahel is gently extracting himself from Krissy, looking around almost as confused about things as Michael. 

         "Harahel." Michael addresses one angel he knows wont give him lip and takes out his keys. Fortunately that particular sigil wont keep out lesser angels. "I need you to go open the door to the apartment across the way and either erase the sigils on the wall or heal Helel's injuries. Once you have done so we will have no need to discuss your conduct last night."

         "Yes, sir," Harahel meekly takes the keys and unlocks the door. The chain is drawn but is easy snapped  there's a warding sigil on the back of the door drawn in chalk from the accompanying message board which bears the odd 'no more norsemen in the apartment' message, underlined and in bold print. There's one on the other side of the room as well.

         "Don't let them drag you into domestic disputes, librarian."Lucifer is adding one to the bathroom door. "In case you've forgotten, Michael's not in charge anymore." He falters slightly, smearing the sigil. Harahel instinctively moves to support him. 

          "Well, he's no less capable of kicking my ass regardless." He replies, getting a grin and conceding nod from Lucifer. "Are... are you alright?"

           "I'm fine." he lies rather expectedly. "You should go take care of your Krissy. Michael's horrible at curing hangovers." Lucifer pushes away and stumbles over to his bed, sort of falling on it without another word.

            "B-brother?" Harahel steps forwards feeling oddly concerned and incredibly conflicted about that. There's no reply. He should just eliminate the sigils and go back to take care of Krissy and thats it. Did...did he stop breathing? Cursing his better nature, Hara heals him before he can die.

           "Thank you." The morning star turns over, either unaware or apathetic to how close it was just now. "Alright. You can let the asshole in." He covers his eyes with his arm.

            "Please don't tell anyone about this." Hara asks as he realizes exactly how much greif he's going to get from his siblings when they find out. Luci just gives a wry grin and a thumbs up. Hara erases the last sigil and makes himself scarce, retreating back to the library of congress.

           Luci feels remarkably well and refreshed, yet at the same time like complete and utter shit. In truth he wants to do something nice for the little librarian for the assistance, but even if he could, the plain fact of the matter is that the nicest thing he could do right now is forget the angel was ever here.

         Someone sweet and sheltered enough to heal him would be easy to win over. With just a little effort, the right words, and Harahel would be as devoted to him as any of his siblings ever was. But it would be just one more selfish lie and manipulation and all it would do is make the angel an outcast among her brethren for no real purpose. He finds himself actually caring about that, too. About any and all of his siblings at that. 

        It seems like the only way to get love and trust is to lie and stop caring. But at the same time, it would only lead to even more hatred and less trust. How do you stop being a creature of lies and deception when there's so little to you beyond it? Not for the first time, he wishes he could just go sit with his brother again and be the miserable empty shell and broken mirror he always was and yet be loved and cared for anyways. Its odd that the thing he always hated about Raphael, how he always seemed to see through him no matter what he said or did, is what he misses the most now.

        Not anymore. Now he screwed things up so badly his little brother can't even give him the benefit of the doubt when he's the only injured and only sober person in the room. That whole mess last night is just endlessly frustrating. Drunk young women are much more irritating than he remembers. Of course he's much less powerful and attractive than he used to be. And he's a woman, younger than they are in body.

        The most grating part was when Claire and Krissy started tossing the remaining spaghettio filled condoms at him and chanting 'get thee behind me, satan.' Which is a totally faulty use of a verse not even actually referring to him. Of course, Alex got mad at them and started throwing condoms back at them, most of which somehow ended up on Lucy anyways. He ended up having to get his violin and serenade them to calm them down and get them to go to sleep.

       Really, drunk people are like over tired toddlers. The thought of it just exhausts them. He really should get up and take a shower though, blood isn't as sensually appealing when it's all dried and crusty. Neither are spaghettios.

        "Are you alright?" Michael finally bothers to concern himself with the only person actually injured that night. Luci just flips him off. Let him check his own damn self if he cares so much. A snap returns him and his bedding to a pristine stste which he refuses to be grateful for. "What happened last night?" Michael asks firmly with a clearly very careful lack of accusation. Not concern, of course, why be concerned?

         "Fuck you! Thats what happened." 

           "Why are you angry with me now?" Michael demands, now looking angry himself. "I'm not the one who..."

            "The one who what? What do you think I did? Looking at them, looking at me, using any common sense at all, who exactly do you think got the short stick last night? "

            "Helel..." Michael gives an exhasperated sigh.

             "Stop calling me that!"

            "That's your name. Helel ben Sahar. That's who you are. Why does it suddenly bother you again for me to address you that way? And why are we arguing? Why are you angry with me? I just want to know what in the name of all that is happened, and if you're okay and you're yelling at me about your name?" Poor Michael, so completely fucking clueless.

          "You can't call me Helel and then treat me like Lucifer." He tries to explain but the look Michael gives him shows clearly that he thinks either Luci is loosing his mind or he is. He doesnt understand and he never will. Why should he? Luci is the devil and no matter what romantic gestures or lies Michael tells himself, in his heart of hearts thats all Luci will ever truly be.

         "Alright." Michael sighs, finally deigning to speak. "It's been a long night. I know you haven't gotten much sleep, so we can just talk about this later. Everyone's fine so whatever happened... we'll worry about it later, okay?" Michael bends over to kiss his forhead. Whatever happened....

         "I'm done," Luci says quietly, moving his head away.

          "With what? What do you mean?"

          "I'm done. With you. With us. That's it. I've had enough. I can't do it anymore. It's over, we're done. We're not lovers. We're not engaged. I don't even really want to be brothers right now, so just get out and leave me alone before I banish you."

            "Fine." Michael snaps, straightening up. "When your done acting like a child, you know how to reach me." Michael just dissappears, obviously not taking him seriously. Well, he'll figure it out when his things are in the hall.

        

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of feel bad for Michael. With Raphael being a little brat, and Luci struggling under the weight of being Luci, he's kind of in a difficult position that he's not really equipped to handle. Of course still being a little tipsy doesn't help, but who exactly could walk that mine field under any circumstances.


	13. Sweet Charity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci tosses Michael's things and gets dragged to the soup kitchen by Nick.

         Someone's knocking on his door. Not Michael. Michael's louder than that. Whoever it is had better have something sweet, something fatty and something caffinated or be prepared to die when he opens that door.            

           Fortunately for his sanity, it's just Alex with donuts and chai.

           "Come in." He grabs the drink nearest him and lets her in.

           "I am so sorry about last night." She apologizes sincerely, much to his surprise. "Are you okay? Was there an accident? Were you bleeding or was that just spagghettios?" She reaches breifly towards Luci's forhead.

           "My sister fixed me up. I'm fine." Luci measures her and takes a boston creme. "Thanks for your concern though. Do you remember much about last night?"

           "Well, not so much. I remember filling condoms with spagghettios because that was all Claire and Krissy had in the car. They had alot of both, like a trunk full of condoms and spagghettios. I'm not sure why. I remember you hugging Hara and driving us home and I think you played your violin. I know Claire and Krissy were dicks but again I'm not sure why."

          "Because they're hunters and I'm the devil?" Luci says wryly. 

          "Probably." Alex sighs,  "And can I assume that at some point you got Raphael involved? I only ask because we woke clean and sober with no hangovers to a clean apartment totally free of dog waste and four lasagnas cooling in the oven."

          "Is there any left?"

          "Of course. They're like the full trays. They take up half a rack each. I'll bring one over when they're cooled off. Claire ran downstairs to check out the damage to the wagon and its fine. So I wasn't sure if I'd just imagined the accident or someone fixed it."

         "I didnt involve him. He was with Michael when Michael came home last night. I wasnt there so they checked your apartment. I was of course a prime suspect." He sounds far more bitter than he intended. 

         "Of what? You were the only one injured." Alex seems genuinely confused and irritated at the idea which almost makes Luci actually like her.

         "Thank you." he holds out his hand in emphasis. "So. Raphael took care of your sorry drunken asses and the puppy too, and Michael and I got into fight and I dumped him." Its only at this last sentance that Alex seems to notice the new sigils adorning the walls. "I could ward your apartment too if you like since, Raphael doesn't yet understand that taking a break means that he can't just enter your apartment anymore. Or have you realized what a dumbass you were already and want to apologize to Raphael for freaking out the way you did."

       "Neither. Though I am well aware I'm an idiot. I just need to think about things a little that's all. You broke up with Michael? Why? You love him. You defy god and nature for that love.  What happened?"

       "Well, you love Raphael, don't you? We each have our romantic problems and neither of us wants to fucking talk about it. I only brought it up because Michael didnt exactly take me seriously, so if you see him please reassure him that yes I meant it and he should just leave me the hell alone."

           "Wow. Okay." Alex sits down at the card table. "Are you okay?"

           "Of course I'm okay. What a stupid question!" He snaps and angrily drinks his chai. 

           "Okay, well, I have to check on our guests. You take the day off to be fine, as thanks for your help last night and the massive pain in the asses we all were." Alex gets back to her feet and heads to the door. 

            "Thanks." Its really irritating how easy thats becoming to say, even when he doesnt mean it. He wasn't exactly going to work today anyways whether she gave him the day off or not.

           "Oh." She stops, turning around again at the door. "I wanted to ask if you still wanted to train me? I didnt want to say yesterday, but watching you kick Yuri's butt as a human being, was kind of awesome and I do need to defend myself better.

          "Anything for my second favorite human." Luci winks at her.

          "Likewise for my second favorite devil." Alex gives him the wink and the gun in return.

           "What.... who the hell is your first?"

           "Beelzeboot, of course." She shakes her head, as if he should know that. "That while freemium thing. Guys got style."

            "Psshh. Please. That's just blatant skinner box manipulation. There's no nuance." Luci scoffs. Alex just laughs.

            "Later, Luci."

            "Later." He waves. Alright, he's fed and caffinated. Time to get rid if Michael's things. Why leave him an excuse to come back? Luci goes through the apartment. His journal, his art supplies, thise damn honey sticks filling an entire cabinet. No. He's keeping those. His clothes. Well, not the bisexual plaid shirt, he's keeping that too. That stupid mug that just says FIRST! that Gabriel gave him. The pillow. Well, technically its Luci's pillow but Michael had it custom made for him. He piles it all up on Michael's chair and opens the door, pushing it out to the hallway. Or tries to, as it gets stuck in the door way.

           "You have got to be kidding me," he hears Krissy exclaim as he tries to force it through. "I must have this pillow." Luci straightens up to see her pick it up fron the chair.

          "Why what does it say?" Claire asks, unlocking Alex's door.

           "Well, the best translation fron the enochian would be. Behold, the field in which I grow my fornications, lay thine eyes upon it and see that it is barren." Krissy translates. Luci just leans over the back of the chair and snatches it back. "Where'd you get that made? I have to commision one for Hara." Luci sighs and hands it back to her. "Seriously? Thanks."

         "She's not going to forgive you that easy, Krissy." Claire chides her as she stuffs the pillow up her shirt and grabs the front of the recliner. "What are you doing?"

          "Moving furniture with Satan, what does it look like. Care to join us?" She gives her partner a sultry purr.

           "Yeah, no. I promised Hel I wouldn't have any threeways with straight chicks without filming it and my camera broke, so..." she just shrugs and disappears into the apartment.

            "Hold on, keep pushing, its about to give." Krissy tugs on it as luci pushes. And it gives, the foot rest popping up under Krissy's hands, knocking her back as Luci only just avoids getting smacked by the head rest.  The handle that supposedly controls said reclining action gives up entirely and gets ripped off the chair taking half the frame with it. "Whoops." Krissy examines the doorway.

             "It's fine." Luci gives the chair a final shove out into the hall before leaving it there, closing and locking the door behind her. It doesn't take.

              "What the hell's that about?" Claire helps Krissy up, the pillow falling out. "Congradulations." She picks it up, cradling it in her arms as she handsit to Krissy. "Its a meme." Krissy just rolls her eyes.

               "I dunno. Spring cleaning? I'd think break up but she didnt set it on fire." She dusts off the pillow and carries it inside. "And what do you mean Hara's not going to forgive me so easy? Forgive me for what?"

              "Oh, I don't know, for getting her drunk off her ass maybe? The rare mesopatamian bow breaking? Letting her get all angry and weepy over Lucifer? Take your pick."

               "What? None of that was my fault! Besides I was drunk. She should know better than to take advice from drunk people, seriously. Little girl needs to learn to take some responsibility. And what do you mean all angry and weepy over Lucifer? I dont remember that." 

            "It was hillarious. She was all, I hate you, I love you, you're so wonderful why do you have to be such an asshole? And I'm fairly sure if Michael and Raphael were here this morning, she got read the riot act for conduct unbecoming a librarian or something."

           "Well, hopefully she'll like the pillow." Krissy holds it up to look at it again. "We should probably call maintenance about the door though."

            "Let her do it." Claire heads to the oven. "I'm eating some of that lasagna. Mmmm." She cuts a large peice with massive layers of cheese and meat, and puts it on the biggest plate she can find. "I'll give him this, for a soulless murdering bastard, the angel sure can cook."

             "Honestly, I'm kind of jealous. The last guy I broke up with tried to win me back by trying to get me kidnapped by werewolves so he could 'rescue' me and ended up getting eaten himself." Krissy sighs.

             "God, I remember that. What an asshole," Claire makes a disgusted face.

             "I would kill for a man who tries to win me back by cleaning my apartment and filling my oven with lasagna when we break up."

             "We're not broken up." Alex enters the apartment, giving the things in the apartment a brief once over. "I'm just taking some time to think about things, that's all."

              "Well, I think you should marry him." Krissy takes out a plate for herself. "Just saying." She shrugs at Alex and Claire's respective glares.

              "Just don't." Alex takes her phone out and goes to the doorway. "Hey, Nick. Sorry to bother you on a Saturday but Luci's door frame is busted and... no... I'm fine... Oh, really? Sure. I'll see you soon." She hangs up and walks to the chair. "You know, you two were complete assholes last night." Alex picks up Michael's journal and carries it inside. Definitely not leaving that out in the hall.

             "What? To who? The devil?" Claire rolls her eyes.

             "Yes, to Luci. She came out to pick us up, make sure we were okay and didn't kill anybody or choke on our own vomit when we passed out and you know she absolutely didn't have to. At all. In any conceivable way."

             "I don't care, Alex. You know there was some non benevolent reason she did it. Some angle. Nobody asked her to come out, or steal my damn car to do it or anything. We were fine."

             "She's trying to be good, Claire. And you know she is or you two wouldn't be acting the way you are; you'd be too afraid. I'm not saying trust her with your deepest secrets or anything but just try not to be such a bitch to her, okay?" Alex grabs some tinfoil and covers the top of one of the trays. "Now, I'm going to go see if Luci feels like sparring. If you want to come practice with us when you're done eating, we'll meet you down stairs." She carried the tray across the hall, briefly knocking on Luci's door before entering.

             "You want to?" Krissy asks hopefully. Angels can generally kick ass, though Harahel hasn't picked up a blade since she almost killed Castiel during training way back when, so there's not exactly much she can teach Krissy about that. But the devil, who's the closest you can get to a match to Michael, now that's something.

             "I'm not letting her battle Lucifer alone, that's for damn sure. I'll ask Bree if she wants to join us." Claire takes out her phone.

             "Alright just let me eat first. I tell you, if she does break up with him, I'm calling dibs." Krissy piles the lasagna on her plate.

             "I'm telling Hara you said that." Is Claire's cold and totally uncalled for reply. But she wouldn't, would she?

             "Why would she care?"

             "Would you want to possess a body that's screwing your brother?"

             "Eww." Krissy scrunches her nose. "I see your point. One of us is going to have to learn to cook though. I'd forgotten that lasagna wasn't just squiggly pasta with sauce and ground beef."

              "And what are we going to cook in? The back of the wagon?"

              "No, we can trade in the station wagon for an RV like I keep saying to. You can park those things at any walmart parking lot in the country you know."

              "We are not trading in the wagon!"

              "It's that or wait until it breaks down irreparable. That thing is so old and you suck at car repair."

              "I do not!"

              "Its a monster. You've cannibalized so many car parts, it's barely even a station wagon anymore. I'm going to start calling it Frankenstein if you don't get rid of it." 

              "Frankenstein is the doctor. The monster is just Frankenstein's monster."

              "And I'm going to attach giant bolts near the rearview mirrors and start screaming 'It's alive!' every single time we have to jump start that piece of shit. Which will be what? At half of the goddamn stoplights in America?"

              "Don't you dare."

              "It's an abomination, Claire. The alleged car is an affront against car kind and I'm sick of sleeping in the back when we can't get a hotel. You kick and I keep getting radiator burns when you forget to put down enough blankets. We're taking it to a dealership and trading it in while we can still fool someone into thinking it's worth something and we're getting an RV. Do you hear me?" Krissy shoves a piece of heavenly casserole into her mouth. "Mmmmm. I need a kitchen, Claire."

               "I'll tell you what. Best two matches out of three and I'll think about it."

               "You're kidding me, right? You want to fight me over this?"

               "Well, if you'd rather just forfeit."

               "Fine, you brat, but I warn you. I'm fighting dirty."

 

               "I don't know what to do about the tickets." Alex says to Gabriel as they wait for the elevator. "I mean, we planned on it weeks ago. Should we still go? Should I give him the tickets? He way more into nightvale than I am, after all. Should neither of us go? What?"

               "It's next week, right? Just go. You said it's not a break up, so it's not like you can't see each other. Make it a date, so it's more just a step back than a full stop." Gabriel suggests. Luci stays silent as it's unlikely anything he could say would be helpful or taken in context.

               "True."

               "And it's okay to actually talk to him. I really wish you would. He's really kind of at a loss about this whole thing and doesn't understand what he did wrong besides going a little too fast."

               "He didn't do anything wrong. Not yet. This really is just about me trying to sort out my feelings and fears and everything."

               "Isn't that something you two should do together, though? That's what a relationship is. Go to couples therapy or something. I know you know how to keep back enough not to get committed." Though her words visibly make Alex look incredibly tense and uncomfortable.

               "Gabriel. Back off." Luci snaps. "You're trying to slow him down with one hand and speed her up with the other. I know you're friends but you don't know how she feels or what she needs better than she does. Just stop meddling and let them work it out on their own."

              "Are you okay?" Gabriel looks over at her brother, who's clearly upset and it can't possibly be about Alex and Raphael. "You've been in kind of a mood all day. Is it because you yielded to Yuri? We both know you would have kicked his ass, were kicking his ass. You have no idea how much I appreciated that. He wouldn't have stopped until limbs were ripped off. Thank you." She kisses his cheek. Luci gives a weak smile. Apparently Michael didn't even take it seriously enough to say anything about it to anyone. "The school is having a cook out tomorrow. Why don't you and Michael come on over. You can play with Shelly."

             "No, thanks." Luci looks at the elevator and pauses as the door opens, letting the other four enter. "I'm taking the stairs. I'll talk to you later."  He steps back as the doors start to close and heads to the stairs. When he reaches the top, Nick is there, working on her door. Michael's things are gone. Meaning he took them or something but still didn't say anything or even come look for him. The man just ignores him, even when he strips off his sweaty clothes and heads into the shower.

            "We're going to the soup kitchen tomorrow morning." Nick informs Luci when he comes out. His voice is firm and commanding as if he expects resistance, with of course the ever present undertones of seething hatred. Well, it'll be a way to get out of that cook out anyway.

            "When and which one? I need to drop of my violin to be repaired either before or afterwards."

           "Ten. At Fourth and Main."

            "Alright. I'll drop it off after. I'll see you then." Luci goes into his bedroom and shuts the door. Wonderful. Dirty ugly hungry humans. And he'll have to feed them. What joy. But better to get it over with. Who knows what stupid acts of redemption his siblings will come up with. Fortunately a majority of them aren't exactly creative. What's the point? He'll never be anything but Lucifer to any of them again, anyways.

            

        The doors are locked and no one's inside. Luci rubs his hands together to warm them as Nick knocks on the mission door.

         "Wait here." He instructs going back to his truck. The line of people ia stretched out around the corner. They don't look any warmer than he does.

          "Back of the line, missy." One Of the older, grumpier men up front snaps, noticing Luci. "Unless you feel like playing us a little song as we wait."

            "Its broken and fuck you I'm volunteering."

            "Looks more like you've been volunteered." Another chuckles. Luci just rolls his eyes and picks up his violin case from the dirty ground.

             "There's been an accident. They're running late. I have to go pick up the one with the keys." Nick walks back over. "Wait here."

              "What? Man dont leave your daughter out here like this. She's not dressed for the weather." Mr. Back-of-the-line scolds Nick.

              "She's not my daughter. But trust me, she's fine with the cold. She belongs to it." 

             "I'm the devil." Luci smiles sweetly at them.

             "Too bad its broken then. I hear you play a mean fiddle." Chuckles comments. Making the others snicker.

             "He's not my father either." Luci leans against the wall and hugs the violin case. "I hate the cold." He spend his life frozen or freezing from the inside.

             "You and me both, sister."

            "How long have you been waiting?" Because talking is better than just standing in silence. Any distraction helps him take his mind off the weather.

             "Few hours."

             "They usually late like this? You dont seem particularly surprised by it."

             "On sundays sure. Most people are in church. Why aren't you?" He asks.  Or maybe it isn't better than freezing.

              "Well, thanks for the stimulating conversation. But I'm going to ignore you now and examine my violin." Luci opens the case, ignoring the muttered insult from the line. Much to his surprise its clean and repaired. Michael must have fixed it. Of course its not tuned.

            "Oh, Lord, please do not let the white girl start to play." Someone further down the line groans. So Luci responds by playing the flight of the bumble bee. When he finishes there's a stunned silence, then a few whistles and claps.

            "Do turkey in the straw!" Why does everyone always request that one?

            "Screw that. It's christmas. Do you know any carols?"

            "No." Luci says flatly. "How about some Beyonce? He starts to pick out the tune. "Remember those walls I built?... well baby they're tumbling down... " of course the damn song just leaves him feeling even more depressed so he follows it up with ready to run  by the Dixie chicks before taking requests. He just keeps playing until Nick comes back with the person with the keys. Of course by theb his fingers are chapped and bleeding and not a little frost nipped so he just has to sit in the corner of the dining hall with them bandaged until Nick's done serving everyone.

          "This doesn't count as one of your days." Nick frowns at him, handing him a hot chocolate, before he has to return to the kitchen to help wash dishes. "You're here to help, not cater to your own ego."

        "Never mind him, dearie. That was beautiful." Chuckles pats his shoulder, the ripeness of his clothes even more obvious inside where its warm. "Thank you for the concert."

        "My pleasure."

         "Let me guess. Step dad?Community service?"

          "Something like that. I'm on probation for trying to destroy humanity." Luci shrugs.

           "Parents tends to act that way, don't they." He sympathises, though Luci's not sure why. "Was it drugs? Get in with the wrong crowd?" Luci rolls his eyes.

           "I am the bad crowd."

           "You are a pretty and talented young woman. Too pretty and too talented to let yourself go this road. Take my advice, sweetie. Make nice with the warden over there, do your time and just keep playing that violin. It'll take you farther than anything on those streets ever could." Chuckles gently chucks his chin. Luci just wrinkles her nose at the smell and forces a smile.

          "Great. Thanks." He drinks his hot chocolate. Yeah, sure. He'll definitely take life advice from a man living on the streets and just feed the homeless, and serenade them with his violin. That'll sure make up for ruining all of creation. Well, at least some of them are appreciative of his talents at least. Why not give them a little beauty in their drab disgusting lives.


	14. Cats in the Cradle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci spends a day with Castiel or does he? It could just be one of Gabriel's practical jokes, he's really not sure.

          "Luci..." There's a knock on the door. It's Gabriel. Probably wanting to talk about her breakup with Michael "Luce, I need your help." Doubtful. "Your son is being difficult and I need you to take him in hand." Okay, now he has to go check. Luci walks to the door and opens it to see Gabriel standing there with a small cat carrier.

         "What are you talking about?" He yawns.

         "He's insisting on joining in on the leviathan hunt but he can still barely utilize his grace. So after a long argument, I remembered I'm older than he is and far more powerful. Now, if you could just keep him out of harms way until we get this all taken care of." Gabriel hands him the carrier. "Thanks." She kisses Luci's cheek and vanishes. There's a very displeased noise from inside. Did she turn his vessel into a cat?

        The apartment is warded against archangels. Can he even bring the cat into his apartment? Sure he could drop him off with Alex if he can't but that's fairly poor parenting. Of course it's warded against the other three archangels specifically and castiel was promoted using remnant of Luci's own grace. Well, nothing to it but to do it. Luci brings the carrier inside without issue, setting it on the counter.

        "Alright." He sits down backwards on the chair and opens the door. A tiny black kitten with white paws and underbelly, a tan collar and tiny blue tie is sitting as far back in the cage as he can.

         How did Gabriel alter the amount of matter in his vessel? Is it somewhere else? He's not compressed or trying to take the cage would have Ripped Luci's arm off. Luci just stares at him trying to figure it out. The kittens ears go back and his tail wraps around his tiny paws. 

        "So... Hows tricks?" He ventures. The kitten just narrows his big blue eyes at him. "I had absolutely nothing to do with this you know. So you can loose the attitude." KittyCas does not lose the attitude. "You want some milk? Its almond milk. The store was out of lactaid." He explains though he's not sure why. "You think being a cat is bad? Try being lactose intolerant during a break up. I'd always wanted to try ice cream, too. You know and really taste it." There's no response but a sullen angry kitty glare.

          "Alright. Suit yourself." Luci shrugs and looks away for a second. "Do you need a litterbox? Or can you use a toilet if you need to use one at all. I have no idea how this whole being a cat thing works. I'll keep the bathroom door open just in case." Kitty Cas does not seem appreciative. 

         "I have no idea what I'm going to do with you when I have to be at the soup kitchen. I doubt I can taken you with me and you'll be bored to tears here. I don't have cable and I doubt you could work the dvd player. I dunno, I'll figure it out." He gets up and walks over to the music stand. He finally relented and bought music for christmas carols.

       "Not a word." He points his bow threateningly at the kitten who's moved up to the door of the carrier and starts to play  "They have no taste." He mutters. He wanted just nuetral holiday songs but the coordinator was very clear what kind of music was and was not acceptable. Not all of them translate to the violin well but he's sure as hell not bringing his guitar. 'Cat'stiel just sits and listens, looking both enchanted and confused.

        It occurs to Luci that its entirely possible that this is not Castiel and juat a kitten with a cute tie Gabriel is using to play a joke on him. But it doesn't matter. If its Castiel, someone will come for him soon. If not he has a cute kitten to play with. Of course he could probably play with him if it is Castiel, too. It would just be far more difficult.

        That is the cutest damn tie and collar he's ever seen, though. If he had his powers, he could give it a little tan fedora too. They probably have little cat costumes and stuff at the pet store around the corner. Or maybe build-a-bear at the mall. They have tiny clothes. No, its too far and too cold.  

      How to take him out? He might rub away. It's freezing out and it's a tiny kitten easily lost. The carrier wouldnt be too warm either.

      "Want to go out?" He asks the kitten who just tilts his head with that squinty eyed look that particular angel gets, but its also arguably a very kitten look as well. "You know I have no idea if you're actually my son or just some random kitten." He regards the cat who flattens its ears back at the word son. "We're going out."

          He slips on the hooded sweatshirt and hat and walks past the kitten for his shoes, seemingly ignoring it until he suddenly reaches out with one arm and grabs the animal.  The kitten stop trying to escape when he shoves him into his sports bra, arguably the warmest place to keep a kitten and starts scratching behind its ears to mollify it, in case it is a kitten. Either way Kitty-Cas gives up thoughts of escape fairly quickly, about the same time as they leave the building. Coincidence? Or proof towards random cathood?

         "Welcome to Pet Smart for all your stupid pet needs." The unenthusiastic cashier announces at the opening doors then sees Luci and straightens up. "Uh... hi. Can I help you?"

      "Do you still have pet costumes? Or will I have to wait for next halloween?"

      "Uh, sure. Yes, sure." He moves out from behind the register. "This way..."

      "Get your ass back behind the registry." The manager rolls her eyes. "This way. What size are you looking for?"

      "This size." Luci hauls Kitty-Cas out from her shirt. 

      "Lucky cat." Cashier boy mutters. The kitten looks unenthused, though the manager melts into a puddle of squee.

       "Oh my go-o-od! He's wearing a little tie. Why would you ever want to put him in anything else?"

       "This is my son, Cat-stiel." He holds the annoyed kitten to his chest, gently petting him. 

       "He looks so mad. Like that bunny."

        "What bunny?" The manager brings up the pic on her phone. "Aww. Yes, I'm afraid my son and I are a bit estranged. It thought taking him shopping for a new outfit might help mend the rift."

       "Can I hold him? "

       "Sure." Luci hands him over. "Now son,  you be good for the lady." He gets a look of pure venom.

       "Awwwww. Whos the sweetest wittle bitty kitty cat?" Ms. Manager snuggles him to her face, kissing his little head as they walk to the the appropriate section. 

        There's not much of a selection. But there is a tiny sweater vest and a little cowboy hat and a dracula cape. And of course a little lions mane wig and tiny hello kitty overalls.  The effect of both together is just wonderful. Luci ends up buying them all.

        "Hold on, I have some cat treats someone opened." The manager reaches under the customer service desk and places a few small triangles in front of the kitten who just looks at them.

        "Now, son, don't be rude." Luci scolds him. The cat just looks at him and the store, clearly debating the merits of making a break for it, but doesnt. Cat-stiel just looks at the mildly disappointed store manager and bends his head to take the treats, or at least pretend to. So its probably Castiel as cats arent that nice. "We'd better go, we have some things to do this afternoon. C'mon, Kitty-Cas. Time to go." He returns the kitten to his breast where it promptly spits the treats out into his cleavage."You little shit." Would Castiel be that bold? Possibly. Luci hurries out of the store and back towards the building, but Nick intercepts him at the door, shoving his guitar case into his hands.

           "You're late." He snaps, opening the door to his truck for him. 

           "Did you go into my bedroom closet?" Luci demands.

           "Did you go into my body?" Mr sassy pants replies.

           "I case you've forgotten, I asked permission, you jerk. Why did you take my guitar?" Luci climbs into the passenger seat.

            "The violin is too valuable. It might get stolen."

              "Too.... this guitar belonged to my father, God himself. I'd hardly think it's worth less than some piddling human violin!" He buckles in.

              "Well, to look at it. It's a cheap used guitar not worth the calories expended to carry it to the pawn shop." Nick looks over at him. "Shoulder belt."

              "No." He shakes his head.

              "I'm not leaving until its on right."

              "Why not? I know you're not concerned for my safety."

              "Its illegal. Are you going to pay the fine if I get ticketed?"

               "Like I can't get you out of a damn ticket." Luci gives him a look. Nick considers breifly and starts the truck. "And, Nick? You will forever be my favorite vessel, but if you ever touch my guitar again, I am smashing the case into a hundred jagged splinters and leaving you how I found you. Do you understand me?" He gives the man his sweetest smile. Nick blanches and nods, driving to the mission.

            "Hey, Stevie Nicks," Chuckles is at the head of the line again. "Where's the violin?"

             "Nick didnt let me bring it. He thinks you're all theives." She smiles as Nick knocks on the door.

             "Thats not what I said." He snaps, entering the building. "Come on."

              "Are they coming in?" She asks.

              "As soon as you get inside, they.... why is there a kitten in your shirt?" Cat-stiel chooses that moment to poke his tiny head up out of her collar. Nick's look of confusion is priceless.

              "What can I say? I love pussy." He enters the mission amidst the laughter at the front of the line.

              "Did you steal someone's kitten?"

             "For the love of all that is, Nick. I'm not a damn demon." He pulls the kitten out. "This is my son, Castiel. You've met I believe, though under different circumstances. He's the strange one who rode in cars." He explains. The kitten mews indeciferably.

           "Oh, constantine." Nick nods.

           "At least I think it is. It might not be. My sister may just be screwing with me, but well..." he shrugs and puts the guitar case on the end of a table, exchanging the kitten and the bag of clothes for the guitar. "Unfortunatley, children are coming in. You will let them play with you. Understand?" He pat the kittens head and starts tuning the guitar. The kitten just tilts his head, looking at him quizzically.

         "You will be washing dishes at the end. The director just liked the idea of letting you play during the meal as a treat." Nick informs him sternly and walks back to the kitchen.

          "Alright, Chuckles. Any requests?" He nods to the man who walks up to get his tray.

          "You dont like Christmas Carols right? How about a Hanukkah song?" He teases. Luci laughs and starts to play.

         "Put on your yarmulka, here comes Hanukkah.."

         "You made that up." Chuckles grins.

         "Never heard of Adam Sandler, grandpa?" A cute young man behind him. "Please tell me you know Lunch lady land."Luci winks and starts to play.

            "Kitty!" A small brown girl runs over to the table hands out. The fact that the kitten doesnt even flinch points towards it being Castiel. "He has a little tie thats so cuuute..." she picks him up and hugs him to her face.

        "You can dress him up if you like." Luci nods to the outfits. The kitten gives him a dark look.

         "Can you play wudof?" Another asks.

          "Why not?"

 

         "Why did you put my things in the hall and ward the apartment?" Lucifer hears because it's not enough that he's up to his elbows in dirty greasy disgusting dish water. No, Michael has to choose now to come and talk to him again.

          "Well, Mitcha, it kind of goes part and parcel with dumping you. Sorry about the chair. That was an accident; it caught on the door frame." He doesn't bother looking back and just keeps scrubbing the pot.

          "Helel, look at me."

          "I'm busy." He informs him. Michael snaps his fingers, making everything in the entire kitchen spotless, including Luci.

          "What's wrong? And why can't you just talk to me about it?"

          "Because there's nothing to talk about, Michael."

          "What do you mean there's nothing to talk about? You just severed everything we had and without even an explanation this time..."

          "This time?" Luci turns around, furious at the statement. "You were the one who rejected me. Every single time. I tried to keep you with me, to make up, to love you and... you were right to do so, just don't pretend that's not how it was."

          "You're right, I did. But I'm not. How can we fix things if you won't talk to me about it?"

          "There's no fixing it! There's no going back. Nothing can ever be the way it was and neither can I. Helel is long since dead and I can't escape Lucifer."

          "I know this is hard, Helel. I know you feel frustrated and discouraged, but what does that have to do with you and me? I know who you are and what you've done and I still love you despite everything. Don't push me away just because things aren't moving as fast as you hoped." He tries to take Luci's hand but he pulls it back.

          "Spare me your fucking charity, you asshole."

          "What... stop calling me an asshole!"

          "Stop acting like one!" Michael sets his jaw at this, taking a moment before responding. He's angry, well, Luci doesn't give a fuck.

          "How is telling you I love you, and wanting to be there for you being an asshole?" He asks with that angry calmness that's a complete lie.

          "Because you don't want to."

          "What?"

          "You don't want to love me. You're ashamed of me and everything I am and ever was, everything I've done and you're not even wrong, but I can't... I'd rather be alone than have to live with that." For a moment he's not sure whether it sounded like he just doesn't want Michael or doesn't want to be alive in the first place.  He supposes it doesn't really matter. Michael never understands anything anyway.

          "I'm not ashamed of you, Helel." Michael insists, caressing Luci's cheek.

          "No? Does heaven know we were together?" he demands. "Do they know we were lovers? Do they know you asked me to marry you?"

          "I don't... there hasn't been a good time." Michael says, clearly because he can't think of a better fucking lie to try and explain it with.

          "When you died, and were in the abyss, when you saw Dad. Did you tell him? Did you tell him what we'd done, how you felt about me? That you wanted to be with me? Did you say anything about us at all?"

          "No, but... Helel... it's not because I was ashamed of you. I just didn't care what he had to say about it."

          "Sure, Michael. Daddy's little princess, doesn't care what he thinks of her lover."

          "Stop gendering me."

          "Stop calling me Helel!"

          "Is everything okay in here?" One of the volunteers opens the door. As apparently they were starting to get a little loud. "Lucy? Is there a problem?" He looks warily at Michael.

          "My ex was just leaving." Luci looks steadily at Michael. The kitten runs in the door by the volunteers feet and starts mewing at Michael's feet.

          "Castiel." Michael nods to the cat who sits down with a very dissatisfied look on his face as Michael just turns and walks out the back door.

          "I know. He can be such an asshole, sometimes." Luci bends over to pick him up and scratches behind the ears. The kitten declines to comment.

          "Are you okay?" The volunteer asks. "I don't even know how he got in here."

          "It's fine." Luci lies. "I'm done. Where's Nick."

          "That was fast. Impressive."

          "More like a miracle." Luci rolls her eyes. "Nick?"

          "He's taking Carla home. You sure you okay?" He puts a hand on Luci's back, "Do you need me to stay in here in case he returns? It'll be a while before Nick comes back." Luci just smiles at him and puts Castiel down.

          "Actually, I could use a little help with something right now." He slowly straightens back up, and straightens the young man's collar.

          "Oh? Wh.."

 

          "Don't give me that look." Luci frown at the kitten and it's disapproving stare, pulling his shirt back on before sitting down at the table. "You know I'm right, and pretending I'm not won't do either me or Michael any favors. Don't try and act like you think we should be together."

          Luci crosses his arms and slumps forwards on the table, resting his head on his arms. Cat-stiel silence makes him fairly sure the kitten thinks they both deserve each other. At least at the moment.

          "Well, you did Molotov him with holy fire; you can't expect him to do you any favors. You never apologized for that, you know." Kitty-Cas just turns primly away from him. "So stubborn." Luci coos, scratching behind his ears. "You really are my son, aren't you?" The tiny nip at his fingers makes him smile briefly before burying his face in his arms.

          It's better this way. Michael won't be stuck with someone he's ashamed to be seen with and Luci won't have to have a constant reminder that he's something to be ashamed of. He is, of course, but does he have to be reminded of it every waking second? Luci feels something nudging his arm and turns his head just enough to see the kitten climb up onto his arm and rub its head against his cheek.

          "Now I know you're just a kitten." He grins at the cat and picks him up, snuggling and petting the thing until it starts to purr. Michael is such an asshole.  "Awww, who's the sweetest kitty in the whole wide world?" the sound of the safety of a gun being undone interrupts the cuddle fest though. Luci's annoyance is tempered with a sense of deja vu. "Can I help you?"

           "Hand him over, Lucifer." Dean Winchester, as charming and overly dramatic as always, holds the gun to his head. Luci's tempted to tease him but given the man's allergic to cats, he doesn't feel like risking a sneeze making the man accidentally pull the trigger. So he just sighs and lifts the kitten up with both hands.

           "I'm not entirely sure that isn't just a kitten, though." Luci informs him and takes the bag of pet clothes from the table, handing it over to him when the hunter puts the gun away. Dean's other hand is holding the kitten tightly to his chest, so it takes a minute, "The kids loved him."

           "Right." Dean gives him an odd look.

           "Hey, Raph." Luci waves to his brother who's standing in the corner, arms crossed. Raphael just glares at him.  Probably on Michael's behalf."Silent treatment, huh? How new and unusual for you. Oh, you've gotten bitch face lessons from Sam, I see. Nice one." He gives him a thumbs up. "Bye, son. It was fun, we should do it again some time." He blows the kitten a kiss and gives them a little wave goodbye. Dean opens his mouth to say something but is caught in a sneeze instead. He and Raphael just disappear.

           "Oh, my god, are you alright?" The volunteer bravely rushes out now that the 'danger' is past. "Did... did you just get robbed at gunpoint for your kitten?" Luci just laughs at the question.

           "Not quite. That was my brother in law. It's his kitten. He's kind of a drama queen. Plus he kind of hates me." She shrugs.

           "What an asshole." he sits down beside Luci, putting an arm protectively around his shoulder. "So, um, can I have your number?" he asks as Luci just stares at his hand.

           "No." He takes the young man's arm by the wrist and moves it from his shoulder. "I just needed to screw anyone but my ex right then, and that's all it was."

           "Well, In case you ever need to do that again, I could give you mine."

           "Yeah, I don't think so. Literally anyone would do, so, no, thanks. You should probably go wash your face." He gently chucks the young man's chin. The volunteer flushes and gets up from the table.

            "Are you ready?" Nick demands. Luci just picks up the guitar case.

            "Later, Nick." The volunteers heads back to the kitchen,

            "Later, Michael."

            "Oh, you have got to be fucking kidding me!" Luci covers his face. Nick just gives him an odd look. "Nothing, never mind. Lets just get the hell away from here."


	15. Open Mouth Insert Foot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael has terrible social skills.  
> Thor is sick of the soap opera shit and wants to kill things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates. I got caught up finishing A Life of Virtue and starting The Children of Men. I didn't realize how far behind I'd gotten on this one. I promise at least one chapter a week until I finish The Children of Men, then it'll be chronologically caught up and it'll have my full attention.
> 
> The chronological order for this 'verse is as follows,  
> Season 12- A life of virtue (completed)  
> Season 13- The children of men (In progress)  
> Seasons 14-15 Devil Pray (completed)  
> Season 16 I Love Luci (in progress)  
> Season 17 Through the Looking Glass (in planning stages and yes it will involve a mirror 'verse)

 

 

          Michael's just been sitting on his broken chair in the middle of the old cottage for hours, just staring absently at his hands. He hasn't even tried to fix it. Raphael's not sure what to say, so he just walks over and puts a hand on his shoulder.

         "He thinks I'm ashamed of him." Michael finally speaks.

         "Does he blame you?" And that apparently is the wrong thing to say.

         "I'm not." Michael glares at him, "I'm not ashamed of him. I'm not ashamed of loving him and I don't wish that I didn't." 

        "Then just tell him that."

        "I did. He doesnt believe me. I don't know what to do. I don't know what he wants and honestly he's such a mess right now, I doubt he does either. I never meant to make him think I was ashamed of him. I don't know what I did or said and I don't know how to fix it." Michael gets up and starts pacing, which is an improvement but still not great.

          "Did you consider he's just playing with you?" Raphael's question is blatantly ignored.

          "I really don't like the thought of him being in that apartment all alone either. What if he has a seizure and falls and hurts himself."

         "He hasn't had one in months. I think it's under control now." Raphael is thankful to be able reassure him about something. Though given they were psycogenic nonepilepic seizures due to his human mind not being able to handle the trauma of the cage, they could still be triggered at any time and Lucifer being upset or stressed out just makes it more likely than ever. Its not as if you can medicate those. But that's still no reason to worry Michael unduly.

         "What if he gets sick and there's no one to take care of him? You know he won't ask for help. A cold could become pnuemonia and send him straight back to the abyss without us knowing." Raphael doesn't say anything as he's sure his feelings that Lucifer would be better off endlessly dreaming in the abyss would not be appreciated. "What if he gives into hia feelings?"

         "How do you mean? Suicide? Heroine? Murder? Reclaiming the throne of Hell?" 

         "The first two." Michael snaps, "He's applying all the stubborness of his rebellion to his attempt at redemption. No, so much of his pain is being turned inwards this time. It's like the early days after he got the mark all over again."

        "I'm sure it's not." Raphael shakes his head.

        "You don't know, you were taking care of Gabriel."

        "I do know. I relived it with him in his head over and over until it broke him down and it nearly killed me doing it. He can't be feeling the same way, because he's still functioning."

        "Worse, then, because now he's actually done things more terrible than he ever feared." Michael still insists that Lucifer is suffering, buy Raphael won't be dragged in with his compassion and empathy again.

        "If it was worse then he'd have killed himself months ago." The look on Michael's face makes him regret what he said, though his older sibling quickly looks angry instead of distressed. Raphael almost wishes they were in their true forms so he could see Michael's flames and better guage his mood, but it can't be any cooler than a light yellow at best.

        "Was that supposed to be comforting?"

        "I'm sorry. I... I love you, Michael, and I hate to see you suffeing for any reason, especially because of him, but I'm just not the person who can comfort you about this." Raphael confesses, though really, Michael should know this.

         "You're right." And Michael leaves going to who knows where.

         Raphael crosses his arms and looks at the chair. He just made it worse, but what exactly can he do about it? Not for the first time since the disaster at thanksgiving, he finds himself missing Alex. More than anything he wants to talk to her about this, ask her advice or even just hold her until he doesnt feel like such a terrible brother. Even if she just ends up telling him he's being an asshole. But she needs space so he's giving her space. But that doesnt mean they can't talk at all does it? It doesnt mean he can't ask her for some advice, right?

         "Where's Michael?" Gabriel appears, looking around the room.

         "I don't know. I wasn't being supportive enough and he left. " Raphael looks away, sounding much more annoyed than he intends to. 

         "I don't know why he'd try to talk to you about this, given what a bratty asshole you are about anything and everything to do with Luci lately." She rolls her eyes with a dramatic sigh that makes him want to punch her smarmy  face. "Don't worry, when he wants to be found, I'll go have a little girl talk with my big sister. Of he tries talking to you again, just try shutting the fuck up and listtening. You used to be good at that." The little shit leaves before he can remember to have a word with her about the whole turning Castiel into a kitten and giving him to Lucifer stunt.

         His phone beeps, alerting him to a text. It's from Alex. Something about the Nightvale live show they have tickets for this weekend. He's almost afraid to open it further. Is she telling him to go without her? Asking if she can take Claire instead? Or maybe she still wants to go together. The possibility makes his heart race.

         "Hey, Moor!" He's greeted with a hearty slap on the back before he can work up the nerve to open the main text. "Where's the dragon? I want to get back to hunting Leviathan."

           "Where's the what?" He turns to see Thor and that brat Yuri.

            "The dragon, Michael."

            "Don't call him the dragon. That's pretty much the opposite of what he is." 

           "So he is a fish?" Thor frowns looking almost as confused as Rapahel is at this. "I mean, he looks like a fish, but I could swear he's really a lizard."

            "What ever you're talking about stop it this instant. I get enough nonsense from my sister." Raphael commands. And we can't hunt Leviathan until Lucifer re does the location spell, And given he and Michael just broke up and he's locked himself in his apartment, I have no idea when that will be."

            "What?! What bullshit is this? Who lets their love lives interfere in a quest of this magnitude?!" Thor sounds downright scandalized and is honestly uttering the first sensible thing he's ever heard the thunder god say.

           "Clearly, you are not familiar with Lucifer's Fall." Raphael sighs. "Otheriwse known as 'The Divorce'." Not that it's an even close to accurate portrayal of the civil war, but it is an all too accurate one of their relationship.

            "Fuck, we'll have to get them back together again. Where is Michael?" Thor looks around. "I was told he'd be here if I needed him."

           "If he didn't go to Valhalla to spar with you I'm not certain where he'd be. Perhaps with Jeff?" Raphael considers.

           "Jeff? Who's Jeff?"

           "A human freind. And leave him be. I doubt Lucifer will be won over by viking romantic tips." Raphael looks back to his phone, but he accidentally crushed it when Thor startled him.

           "You angel boys don't seem to have much luck with your women. A little norse wooing may be just what you need. Take your former virgin, for instance."

           "My what?" 

           "Thor, everyone is a former virgin." Yuri sighs covering his eyes.

           "Not the current ones." The storm god points out. "Look, Loki says she's just scared because the destroyer of worlds broke her heart so thoroughly and she's acting insensibly."

            "I have repeatedly asked you to stop calling my brother that, Thor. It's not funny."

            "Eh," the thunder god just waves his protest away. "He says, leave her alonem but a scared woman need a strong man to take charge and protect her. Let her know that she has nothing to fear. So you need to do what you should have done and take her in hand and say 'woman'"

            "You have got to be kidding me." Yuri mutters, covering his. Thor just ignores him.

            "Say, 'Woman, you are mine. You will always be mine, now stop this pointless kerfluffle and lay with me' and then you fill her with your seed until she is incapable of speech or movement and you continue to do so until she has bourne you at least one son. After that you may both do as you please." He waves his hand in the manner of a price is right girl showcasing divine wisdom.

            Raphael almost calls him an idiot when he imagines Michael trying that with Lucifer and bursts out laughing instead. He almost wants to see that.

            "Why am I with you?" Yuri shakes his head.

            "Presumably because you have not yet bourne him a son." Raphael grins. Yuri is not amused, neither is Thor oddly.

             "This is no laughing matter. You two need to take your women in hand. This is ridiculous and interfering in a good quest of epic proportions. You should all be ashamed of yourselves." Thor storms back out, slamming the door so hard it breaks.

             "He just really wants to kill things." Yuri explains rather unneccessarily and follows him out. The more Raphael gets to know Gabriel's adopted family the lesa he understands the entire thing. Maybe Thor has a point about actually soeaking to Alex though. Not in the stupid manner presented, but since he did damage his phone before he could see or respond to the text, he'll have to talk to her about that at least.

           But what if he says or does something foolish and makes things worse? Obviously it wouldnt be anywhere near as imbicilic as what Thor said, but still. He could tip the balance from 'I don't know what I want or feel right now' to 'I don't want or love you and the thought terrifies him beyond reason.

          Maybe he could talk to Sam and get some advice. Anyone able to make a relationship work with his psychotic little sister has to know something about relationships. Plus his advice is just generally more sane and helpful  than Gabriel's on a consistant basis. In truth Raphael should have asked him instead of Michael when he was thinking of proposing, but Michael and Alex are arguably closer freinds.

         Sam, it seems is at the school teaching with Shelly in a baby gym beside him.

       "Alright, so what three kinds of knives are absolutely essential to have on your arsenal?" He asks, making three lines across the length of the board. Hands shoot up all through the students. "Jared, haven't heard from you in a while."

        "Um, Silver, Iron, and um,,," a young boy, maybe ten, scrunches up his face. "Gold?"

         "Close. Silver and Iron, absolutely." He writes them on the lines. "Who can tell me the third?"

         "Labababa lababa!" Shelly notices Raphael in the door and starts to bounce excitedly in the seat. Sam looks over at him, seeming a little worried to see him.

           "Everything alright?"

            "Yes, I just thought I'd stop in and see how the classes were going." He lies. Sam isnt fooled, but he accepts it none the less.

            "Uh! Uh!" Shelly reaches her arms up. Raphael walks over and picks her up.

            "Well, feel free to observe. Diana, what's the third type of blade?"

             "Brass!"

             "That's right. Now what monsters are vulnerable to brass?"

              "Rakashas!"

              "Sirens!"

              "Witches!"

              "You idiot witches are just people."

               "It still kills them."

               "Maybe." Sam puts it down with an asteric. " A brass knife will disspell certain protections but lets stick to things specifically hurt by brass."

             "Hai!" Shelly beams at Raphael as he sits down and and stands her on his lap. "Wa! Wa!" She lifts her legs up and down and laughs when he turns her around and lets her grab his thumbs to balance with. She just struts proudly up and down the aisle greeting the students. By the time the bell rings each column of blades is filled with monsters.

           "Mr. Winchester!" A boy who's been quiet the whole class raises his hand. "What if you had a blade made of all three?"

           "You mean as an alloy? They have to be a hundred percent pure to be effective." Sam shakes his head.

           "No, I mean like a three sided blade with each side a different metal?"

           "Huh," Sam considers. "I don't know, that sounds like one for the project board, though. Put it up and if someone suceeds you get a credit a heads up in a possible hunting partner. For homework I want eveyone to write their ideal personal arsenal and why its right for them. I'll see you next week." The students slowly file out, stopping to look at Raphael and Shelly as they go.

        "Baba baba." She waves her little hand at the students as they go, flapping her fingers up and down.

         "So..." Sam sits down at a table next to them, pulling a chair out for Raphael. " What's going on?"

          "You and Gabriel are happy together, right?"

           "Yes, why? What has she done?" Sam asks warily.

            "Nothing. That I know of." Raphael quickly amends. "I have no good sources for advice. Gabriel is insane, Michael's advice is what put me in this position, and obviously I would never consult Lucifer for any reason." Though he has to admit to himself that of the three his brother probably would be able to tell him how to fix things with Alex. But the means would likely be questionable and he doesn't want to manipulate her into loving him. "And your advice has generally been sound..."

           "Is this about Alex?"

            "No, I'm having difficulties with the mailman."

           "I think," Sam ignores his sarcastic response, "That what you need to do is talk to her and most of all to listen. Don't try to find a way to 'fix' things. Just have a conversation about where things are for you both. You can't really move on from there until you both know where you stand." Sam catches Shelly as she suddenly hurls herself towards him. 

           "That's true. I suppose we haven't had that talk in a while." Raphael looks at his hands. "Sometimes it seems as if its foolish to think it could be anything. Her life is so very short and I am so very old. But then it seems like all the more reason to grab every moment we possibly can because we'll have so very few. I don't know what I'll do when she grows old and dies. I don't know what I should do."

          "Nobody knows. I don't know. Babe doesnt know. Dean and Cas and Claire and Hel don't know. I know Krissy and Harahel still don't even have the first clue yet." Sam smirks. "You can't know. You can only try your best and take what time you have."

          "Harahel and Krissy are in love with each other?" Raphael looks up.

           "If not they're doing a grade A imitation."

           "I see. I'll have to speak with him. Or is Harahel still preferring to be considered a girl at the moment?" Sam just shrugs.

         "But, look, just to be honest, you may just be at two fundamentally different places in your lives. While yes, you are very old, more to the point, Alex is still incredibly young. She's what, twenty one? Twenty two?"

           "Twenty three in March." 

            "That's still really young to be thinking about marriage and a possibly beyond lifetime commitment at that. There's also the fact that you got together when she was still hurting from Rhys. That was a two year relationship. I don't think she'll be able to relax much until at least that much time has passed with you. And maybe you've just reached an impass."

           "You were engaged at twenty three."

            "I was, yes. But we'd been together for several years, too. And neither of us had come directly out of another relationship. Look, all you can do is be honest with each other. Not that you have a problem with honesty. But its better, even if it means accepting that it won't work. Pretending won't save a doomed relationship and might ruin a salvagable one." Sam gives his daugher a kiss on the head as she snuggles her head against him and yawns. "I would like to ask you a question, though. About Lucifer." Raphael tenses at the mention of his name.

        "Go ahead." He says since Sam seems to be waiting for permission.

         "How does he feel about Michelle? Really feel?"

           "The same way he feels about Gabriel. I don't believe he would consciously, intentionally cause her harm or lead her astray. But that doesn't amount to being a safe to appropriate associate for her. And I certainly don't advocate trying to use Michelle as a morality pet for him as Gabriel seems to. But he loves and adores her and it is sincere. His desire to reform is sincere. I simply.... it doesn't matter as far as I'm concerned. Associating with him has caused me nothing but pain and I'm done."

            "You have every right to be." Why does it make him so irritated every time they agree with him? "I'm sorry to ask you this, but Michael and Gabriel are a little too biased. And who else knows him well enough?"

           "I understand. Thank you for your advice. Goodnight, Shelly." He kisses her cheek as she yawns and almost instantly falls asleep, drooling on her fathers shirt.

 

            "I miss you." Is what comes out of his mouth the second Alex answers the door.

             "I miss you too." She confesses.

             "Can we talk?"

              "Sure," she backs up letting him in. Courage immediately runs over and starta demanding his attention, so he bends over to pet the dog."You two, out." She points to Krissy and Claire who are demolishing the last of a tray of lasagna. "And don't bother Luci."

              "Sure, we'll take Courage to the dog park." Krissy grabs the leash from the wall. "C'mon Courage! I have pasta." She drops a spoonful of lasagna scrapings on the floor. Courage immediately abandons him.

              "What are you doing?" Raphael snaps. "You're not supposed to feed dogs what humans eat. They're carnivores; that is not meat."

              "Chill, its just a little lasagna." Claire tosses the tray into the sink.

              "C'mon." Krissy slips the leash on when Courage goes to eat the food on the floor. 

             "Courage. Stop." Raphael commands. The puppy whimpers and stops eating, looking up at him with the saddest eyes. Raphael just snaps the floor clean and brings out a bone from the freezer. "Good boy." He pata his head and hands it to him. The puppy's tail thumps so hard that if there were neighbors beneath them, they'd be writing strongly worded letters.

            "Oh, great. Thats not going to cause problems at the dog park at all." Claire grabs her jacket and walks out with Krissy and the happy dog.

            "So.... the tickets?" Alex brushes her hair back.

              "I broke my phone. The affair with Michael and Lucifer has halted the Leviathan hunt temporarily and the norse gods are getting restless." He explains, then realizes his explanation makes no sense. "I was about to read your text when Thor startled me and proceeded  give very bad romantic advice."

           "I'm afraid to ask." Alex wrinkles her nose in that adorable way she does. "But, I was asking if you wanted to go with me still."she reaches back to the letter basket and takes out the tickts. "Like a date I guess. Sort of... Not as freinds... but not... I don't know."

          "We don't have to get married. It's okay if you're not ready or are scared. I just want to be with you as much as I can before you grow old and die and I have to decide wether or not to violate the natural order by making you young and immortal." Alex actually turns a little pale at this thought, which is likely more of a commitment than just marriage. "No, I mean... I don't know what I mean. We don't have to do anything different than what we were doing. After all as far as I'm concerned you are my wife." Alex doesnt say anything for moment, just looking at the tickets in her hand.

         "Maybe you should just go with Michael." She hands him the envelope. Raphael just takes them and nods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Dragon is associated with Lucifer aka the devil. Thus really not an appropriate label for Michael.


	16. Heosphoros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Dean piss of Raphael  
> Michael tries a big romantic gesture  
> Luci is having none of it  
> POS station wagon. The bell tolls for thee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heosphoros-(greek) bringer of the dawn

          "I don't know what's wrong with me." Raphael rests his head in Gabriel's lap. "I just opened my mouth and stupid fell out." His sister, of course, laughs at this. "It's not funny. I think I may have turned a break into a break up."

          "No, it's just... that's love. Doing and saying stupid things even when you know better. At least in the early stages. You should be way past that th...ohhh." Gabriel sounds like she has an idea, which is never a good thing. Why is he even talking to her? Oh, right. Because he's stupid. "You took your grace back too soon."

           "What?" 

           "No, you and Alex were in the middle of love dovey hormone addicted happy time when you took your grace back, so your body froze at hopelessly stupidly infatuated and now you're going through love withdrawal or even just panicking at the possibility of it and voila," she smacks his back. "Instant desperate junkie level stupid." Raphael just looks up at her.

           "That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard."

           "No, 'as far as I'm concerned you are my wife' is the dumbest thing you've ever heard, and said for that matter. You know the chemical and pheremonal processes of love, Raph." Gabriel reminds him.

           "So, what exactly is the solution?" He sits up and straightens out his suit. "I assume your little eureka moment included one."

           "Remove your grace until you're heads back on straight and then try again." And of course its just as insanely bad of an idea as he thought it would be.

           "Have you lost your mind? We're hunting Leviathan!"

            "Not until Luci and Michael get over whatever's wrong, you're not. Do you want to be a screaming toddler for the rest of your time in this body? Because you'll just keep making things worse."

            "No," he frowns, unable to deny the comparison after this last screw up. "But I'd rather not be devoured by leviathan either."

            "Raphael." Gabriel says in a patronizing tone no younger sibling should ever use on an older one. "Nothing is going to happen with the Leviathan until Michael and Luci get their act together. Now, do you really think Lucifer will get his head out of his ass before you do?" Of course the only proper response to this kind of question is to turn her into a tiger cub. Of course, she promptly pounces on him, burying her teeth and claws into his upper arm, kicking at it with her hind legs. It does not, of course, hurt but it is tearing up his suit which is annoying.

           "Castiel," Raphael calls, exiting the room.  The angel appears in the hall. "Do with this what you will. I suggest a warm cloak for Shelly." He holds up his tiger cub ridden arm. Castiel just gives him that quizzical look that makes Raphael want to transform him as well, and pries Gabriel from his arm. He loses a good bit of sleeve in the process. "I need to go speak to Sam."

 

         "Actually, maybe she's right." Sam concedes.

        "Yeah, yiu migjt be stuck in stupid mode." Dean of course has to put his two cents in. "But then it kind of seems like love just makes you Samson levels of stupid anyway. Great job spilling all the angels secrets to Meli, by the way." He gives him a sarcastic thumbs up. Sam just shoots his brother a reproachful look.

         "How would you like to be a tiger cub?" Raphael asks cooly.

         "Actually that sounds kind of awesome." The dumbest Winchester considers. Always happy to oblige, Raphael turns him into a tiger cub as well. He, of course, immeditely attacks his brother's leg the same way Gabriel did his arm.

         "Ow! Goddamn it, Dean! That hurts." Sam tries to knock him off. "Was that really neccessary, Raphael?"

         "Yes." Dean pauses in his mauling to sneeze, and then sneezes harder, falling off Sam's leg.

         "Wait, did you leave his cat allergies?" Sam's eyes widen at the realization. Raphael just gives a wicked half smile. Sam tries valiently not to laugh until Deans next eatery eyed sneeze. "Okay, so maybe that's a little funny. Look if you decide to try it, we're here for you. Just, you know, make sure to turn him back first."

           "Raphael." Michael appears beside him, "I need your help."

            "Of course. Excuse me, Sam." Raphael snaps Dean's allergies away before it gets more cruel than funny and follows his brother to an empty field. "What's wrong?"

             "I need you to help me make an ice sculpture."

             "A what?" He can't possibly have heard it correctly.

              "I can't do it by myself, it'll melt by my sheer proximity." Arguably true as Michael's grace does tend to make things fairly warm around him. But that still doesn't answer the question.

              "What?"

              "I can do the base for it just fine, but the detail work is another matter." Michael brings up some sketches. "I was hopimg to do it to scale but I'm not certain it could support the weight of itself. Maybe an almost solid glass core?"

              "Are you serious?" Raphael looks over the sketches. "This will appeal to his ego certainly, but are you sure you want to lead him in that direction?"

              "I want to show him I'm not ashamed of him, past, present or future." Michael corrects, slightly irritated. "Can you think of a better way?"

             "No, but... why are you asking me to do this?" Raphael shakes his head.

            "Because you're the only one I can truly trust and depend on with pretty much anything." Of course, Raphael can't exactly say no to that.

            "It's not going to work."

            "You don't know that."

            "You can't put it out in the middle of nowhere, either. If its going to have any effect at all, it has to be somewhere public and densely populated."

             "I went back in time and bought the center display stand at the Souix Falls ice carving competition. I have all the proper permits and everything, we just need to build it and transfer it. " 

              "Whatever size we do it we'll need some sort of structural support for the wings. Solid glass maybe? Or would plastic be better?"

              "Maybe some sort of lights on the inside?"

              "That would melt the ice as well." Rapahel frowns. "Maybe in a hollow. Where did you want them? One concentrated place or spread out?"

              "Here." Michael taps the image.

              "How romantic." Raphael says dryly. Michael shoots him a look.

               "That is the idea."

               "Please. Don't ever tell anyone I helped you do something like this." Raphael pleads. Michael just sighs and takes out a pencil.

             "So what do we need?"

             "That depends, Do you want a clear white light or more multicolored?" Raphael frowns. "Because we'll need sand for the glass, but it depends entirely on the type of light you want."

               

            Luci opens the fridge door before remembering there's nothing inside. He finished the last of the lasagna last night. Just to complete the exercise in futility, he opens.the freezer door as well. Oddly enough there are some pints of Lactaid ice cream in there. Vanilla, mint chocolate chip, cookies and cream, snd berry chocolate crumble. He smiles and takes the berry crumble. It was probably there this whole week, too. Castiel is such a thoughtful son. The next time he gets turned into a cat Luci will alert Raphael first thing. Of course, after that, playtime will resume.

          "Luci," there's a knock on the door. "We're going to the park, do you want to come? They're showing the ice sculptures."

           "We're getting pizza afterwards. My treat, and there's supposed to be this absolutley breathtaking one done by an anonymous artist for the center display. It's called Heosphoros."

            "What? Hold on, I'm coming." Luci puts the ice cream back and slips on something warmer. Alex, Krissy, and Claire are there with Courage on his leash.

             "Isn't it a little dark to be viewing sculptures, though?" Claire asks as they get down to her car.

             "They're lit up. They look really amazing, though with colored lights and stuff. You should have seen last years." Alex explains. "It's generally better when it's dark." It doesnt take long to get there, either. And Krissy and Claire race ahead looking at all the idiotic transient sculptures on display beside the path. "Hey," Alex nudges his arm.

             "Can I help you?"

             "Are you okay? How are you holding up?" She sounds genuinely concerned, but he really isnt in the mood to give a shit about Raphael's human.

              "Aren't you Michael's freind?"

              "Yes, but I care about you too, as incredibly weird as that may be." Alex makes a face as if she can't quite believe it herself.

              "Why?"

              "Hell if I know. Probably some form of insanity. You are bizaarely likeable. And it's hard when relationships go south even if you're the one ending it."

              "Are you breaking things off with Raphael? Please tell me if you are because that is the main reason I have to even try to care about you and I just do not have the energy right now."

              "I don't know. He's... I don't know. I just think maybe we're in two different places right now."

               "No shit. He's an archangel, you're human. You were never in the same place even when he was without his grace. Not even the same realm.of existence."

                "I mean in regards to the relationship." Little girl sounds annoyed, as if she had somehow forgotten that Raphael was, is and always will be so incredibly out of her league. "He wants more than I can give right now."

                "No, he doesn't."

                "He doesn't." Oh, so skeptical as if she could possibly know him better than his big brother.

                "No, he's just a clueless idiot who got bad advice from another clueless idiot. You're not the only one with scars, you know. If you think the whole thing with Meli didn't mess him up as badly as Rhys messed you up, you're just not paying attention. You need to cut the kid some slack, Alex, I mean it. Yes it was stupid of him to propose and knowing how he is when he's nervous, I'm sure he's been equally stupid talking to you afterwards.  But you were happy together and it wasn't anything he did that made you start feeling antsy and you know it. It was all fears about past relationships."

          "You're right." Alex sighs the most beautiful words in any language. Ones he doesn't hear anywhere near often enough. "I'm freaking out and its freaking him out which is freaking me out even more. I just don't exactly know how to stop the whole freak out cycle."

          "Well, in the sage words of my former conscience, you really need to get stoned." Luci grins and follows courage down the path.

           "I need to what?" Alex laughs.

           "Denny was always touting pot as the answer to my anger management issues and stress levels.

            "Well, if I could stay stoned twenty four seven with no real consequences sure, but I think I'll try actually dealing with crap."

             "By running at the first sign of committed devotion? I hate to break it to you but unwavering devotion is kind of his thing. I mean his is and always had been Michael's bitch." It's fairly significant to Luci that Alex doesn't even bother to protest that. She probably thinks he needs to cut the apron strings a little, too. It's probably only not more of an issue because Michael likes the little mortal thing. Alex is just lost in thought.

            "Maybe I could try getting stoned," she sighs. Luci punches her in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"

             "I wasn't being serious. Father help me, you don't even need to be tempted. Just reminding you an option exists is enough. You could try shaving your head with a jackhammer, that's another incredibly bad idea."

             "I bet you anything you could make it sound like a good idea though." Alex comments.

            "Of course I could. And make you think its your own idea in the bargain. You're already thinking about how it could even possibly seem like a good idea, aren't you?" Luci accuses Alex, who really can't argue. "That natural budding all encompassing curiosity you things have. I can't even make a joke, its insane. I swear by all that is, if I end up having to keep you from trying it while drunk I will beat you until even the word jackhammer makes you shudder."

             "Oh my god." Alex exclaims stopping short. 

              "I am really getting tired od the blasphemy, too. How about we try this? Whenever you're around me pretend you're im bed with my brother, as that seems to be the only place you can control your exclamations, so you're not calling out to my damn father for every little thing."

           "Luco, just look, will you?" Alex sounds a bit awed as well as annoyed so Luci looks up to see a large ice sculpture maybe ten or twelve feet tall, of an angel. 

          The surface ice of the robes are scuffed and textured until they're opaque and litteres with impurities to make it the color of sea foam, bearing a silver trim. It's hair falls down over its shoulders like waves crashing on the shore, highlighted with a few silver strands, artistic license but with good effect. The face, his face, a soft gentle beauty that transcends gender, With bright peircing ice blue eyes gazing intently at the exact spot on the horizon where venus will be ascending in the morning and will for the duration of the ice sculpture display.

         Two wings spread in a leisurely stretch, every single feather barb and shaft etched in exquisite loving detail, if a bit thicker than in reality. Again there are silver highlights accenting just the right curve and swoop of the pattern to bring it out. One hand hangs down held in the attitude of holding someone's hand. The other is held to his chest, over his heart where whateve comprises the core of it had a heart shaped hollow glowing with soft light that illuminate the entire figure on a gentle mimicry of his grace. Impurities throughout cast a faint rainbow assortment of patches over everything around it. It's a subtle shading but its there.

          It's everything he ever was and in truth likely never will be again writ in a way the human eye can comprehend. It's artistic genius, but its also everything he's had ripped away from him put here on display for the gaping masses. It tears open wounds he was at least able to ignore, peircing more deeply than a thousand knives.

             What's even worse is the plaque at the base. The english is simply Heosphoros, greek for bringer of dawn. But the symbols marking the border are enochian. I declare my love to all the heavens and earth, my shining one, son of the morning, I rejoice in thee. How nice, the ultimate declaration of devotion in a language humanity doesn't understand in a place angels will likely never go see. Obviously Michael did this. He doesn't even realize does he? Of course, he doesn't. Because he's as big a clueless asshole as Raphael. That's probably where Raphael got it from, honestly. And how did he even manage to make an ice sculpture? He can barely go near ice without it melting... Of course. He got his faithful lieutenant, Raphael, to help. Even though Raphael would rather pluck his own wings than make a tribute to his older brother, he'd help Michael if he asked because he's a complete and utter momma's boy.

            "You asshole." He whispers, and turns around, leaving the park as quickly as possible.

 

            "That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life." Alex looks over to see Krissy and Claire staring up at the sculpture.

           "Holy fuck, that's Lucifer." Krissy looks at it amazed.

            "What?"

           "It says right there in enochian, Helel Ben Sahar, along with a declaration of love. A couple of them," She points out.

           "Damn, talk about go big or go home." Claire whistles. "Man, though, no wonder Eve ate that apple. I'd eat a damn pine cone if a man that fine asked me to." Alex understands the sentiment, and better understands why Luci hates her current body so much. She can't help but wonder what Raphael's true form looks like. She's seen Michael's a handsome living flame oddly feminine in essence, when she went to the abyss to try and get Raphael (who wasn't dead after all) but not Raphael's. Seeing this, she can understand why he might think he wouldn't measure up though, having something so incredibly devastatingly beautiful for a big brother. It's Luci's eyes, too. They made sure to give her human body her exact eyes. 

           "Has he seen this?" Krissy looks around.

           "What do you mean? She's right..." Alex turns but Luci's gone. "Luci?"

           "Did Michael do this?" Krissy sounds awed.

           "Who else?" Claire rolls her eyes.

           "Wow, you know what? From now on I'm only dating angels. Look at this romantic crap." Krissy whistles.

           "You know, Luci will straight up murder you if you even look at Michael, right?" Claire reminds her hunting partner.

           "No, shit."

           "I think maybe this upset her." Alex frown, not seeing any sign of Luci.

           "Why the hell would it... you know, I'm starting to think she's one of those people that's just not happy unless she's pissed off about something." Claire crosses her arms, shaking her head.

           "Well, it is everything she no longer is, so maybe a tribute to everything she had taken from her isn't as heart warming as he hoped?"

           "So another dumb yet romantic gesture totally inappropriate to the situation from the faux paux fraterity." Krissy sighs, sounding a bit sympathetic.

           "What are you talking about?" Alex demands.

           "Oh, come on, 'As far as I'm concerned you are my wife' is incredibly sweet and romantic thing to say in almost any other circumstances." Krissy points out.

           "I am not searching this cold ass park in the dark for Satan." Claire looks around. "You know that, right? I didn't want to spend my last night in souix falls with the devil anyways, Alex." she chides Alex for inviting Luci out with them. But it's not good for her to just stay in bed all the time, all alone. Wait a minute, though.

           "Last night?" Alex turns to her sister.

           "Right. I forgot to tell you. We have a job. There are some disappearances in the capitol. Bunch of homeless people. One of them found my craigslist ad so we're going to go check it out. He said something about them being eaten whole?" Claire grimaces.

           "Bring borax and behead them, just in case." Alex cautions them, though they all know Leviathan aren't the only man eaters, they are the most dangerous. "If you find out that it is Leviathan or even just think it might be, pray to Michael, immediately. When do you have to leave?"

           "As soon as the dealership is open and we trade in franken-wagon." Krissy forcefully insists before Claire can argue. "A deal is a deal, Novak, and I kicked your ass."

           "You know Sam would never make Dean give up the impala." Claire grumbles resentfully.

           "Dean would never be caught dead in that kind of ugly ass piece of shit vehicle."

           "Oh, come on." Claire protests. "It is not that bad."

           "Shall we ask him?" Krissy takes out her phone and dials him up. "Hey, Dean... yeah it's a little bit of an emergency." Claire just sighs and rolls her eyes, turning away from the hunter. "Claire's trying to back out of our deal to trade in the wagon for an rv if beat her sparring best two out of three. Uh, huh, yeah... I am, of course. I've been saving for this... Yeah, Walmart. You can park in any of them.... Because I need a damn kitchen that's why. Hold on." She turns the speaker on. "Alright, go ahead."

           "Claire, you know I love you, right?" Never a good way to start a conversation.

           "Yes." She replies sullenly.

           "That... vehicle... I hate it. I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns. It's a gas guzzling money pit death trap and the biggest piece of shit abomination I have ever seen. I am a hundred times more afraid for you two driving that thing than I am of almost any monster you could come up against. An Rv is kind of clunky, but you made the bet so you should live up to it."

            "I wasn't trying to get out of it! I just said that Sam would never make you trade in the impala, that's all." Claire protests. There's a moment of silence.

           "I'm going to pretend you did not just compare my baby to your pos and hang up now, because I'm on a date. oh, and Cas says hi and that he hates your car too so suck it up."

            "I did not say that, Dean." Is the reproachful comment in the background just before the call ends.

            "Was that really necessary?" Claire glares at her partner.

            "Yes. You're a big girl and it's time he told you the truth." Krissy puts a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. "It's time to move on Claire. It's time to just let it go."

            "Alex, you don't think my car is that bad, do you?" Claire looks over to her, with an almost pleading look.

            "I'm going to go look for Luci. We'll catch a cab home if you don't feel like waiting." Alex evades the question.

            "Well, we'll wait for you." Claire rolls her eyes, ignoring her lack of answer.

            "Why don't you try calling her first?" Krissy suggests.

            "She doesn't have access to angel radio." Alex explains. The other two just stare at her a moment. "Bree didn't give her body that ability."

           "Call him with your phone, you dumbass." Claire just shakes her head, with an incredulous look. "Man you have been spending way too much time around angels."

           "Yeah, I wasn't suggesting you pray to the Devil, Lex." Krissy raises her eyebrows. "Are you okay?"

           "Shut up, I'm fine.." Alex blushes and texts Luci. She actually gets a reply fairly quickly. "She says she's fine and not to wait up."

           "Good, lets go get some pizza then. I'm starving."

 

 

 

 


	17. Inspiration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci didn't like the sculpture  
> Michael gives up on Luci  
> Alex has a bad afternoon  
> Luci gets a new plaything

     Michael stands in front if the smashes and melted sculpture as the park employees start sweeping up some of the shards of ice and glass.

      "I don't understand it." The event coordinator shakes her head. " They... they set it on fire. How so you set ice on fire?" He sounds so dismayed, maybe even more than Michael is. "I don't understand."

         "Do you know who did this?" Michael asks quietly, though he has a fairly good guess.

          "Some kids from the methodist youth group." She exclaims. "It was an angel. Why would a youth group vandalize an angel statue?"

          "Were they drunk?" Raphael asks dryly. "More importantly do they know ancient greek?" Michael shoots him a look for this, though the coordinater looks confused. 

          "I don't think so, though they were actually a little... under the weather." She confesses. "I am so sorry, Mr. Angelo. It was such a beautiful sculpture. I don't even know what to say."

          "It's not your fault." Michael reassures her. "Where are they now?"

          "They're still being held at the precincts. They're not bad boys. I don't know what could have gotten into them." She claps her hands together mournfully.

          "The devil probably." Is Raphael's unhelpful comment. The director just nods in agreement, while Michael just gives his little brother an irritated look. 

         "Thank you, Mrs. Evans." He looks down at the wreckage again. The plaque is gone. "Raph?" He turns back to his brother who's taking a picture with his phone. "Really? You're documenting this?"

        "No." He replies flatly and texts something to someone. After a moment he shows the reply to Michael. 

       'Yes, Luci saw it. She didn't stick around long after seeing it. I am so sorry. Tell Michael it was beautiful. P.S. it was wonderful of you to help him with it, even if it didn't work out like he hoped.'

       "Did you tell Alex? I asked you not to tell anyone I helped you make that, Michael." Raphael frowns at him.

        "I didn't!" Raphael just grabs his phone back and types a question. 'Who told you I helped make that monstrosity?'  "Monstrosity? Really?"

       "Subject matter, not an assessment of your artistic skills or pure aesthetics."

       "You know, he is still your older brother and you should treat him with at least a modicum of respect." He reminds the angel. This just get him one of the darkest looks Raphael's ever given him. Of course it turns immediately into barely restrained anxious puppy when there's the beep of Alex responding.

       'Nobody said. I'm just not a dumbass. Who else would he ask? Obviously not your sister as there weren't any hidden dirty images. Jesus, Raphael, I was complementing you on being a kind brother. You don't have to be a defensive asshole, you dick.'

      'Claire, give Alex back her phone.' Raphael types.

      "How do you know it's Claire?" Michael asks, though it really didn't sound like Alex. Unless she was having an extremely unusually bad day for some reason.

      "That's not how Alex tells me I'm being an asshole."

      'Sorry, was showing Claire what happened to the statue before she left. But she's right, unless Jeff has some major hidden artistic talents I'm unaware of, you're pretty much the only one who could. You know you're his right hand angel, Raphael. Look, can we talk later? I have to take Courage out before he pees the carpet.'

         'Okay,' But after sending it Raphael just stares at the phone for an inordinate amount of time.

        "What's wrong?"

        "Did she mean she wants to talk later or just that she doesnt want to talk now?"

         "Why don't you ask her?"

         "I can't. Either way she doesnt want to talk right now. I have to ask her later, but if I ask if she wanted to talo and she didn't I'll look even more stupid and awkward than I already do. I've said more than enough stupid things for one Day."

          "Well, if she wants to talk she'll call you when its a good time, right?"

          "Maybe. Unless she wants me to text back first." Raphael looks as if he's about to start shedding feathers, so Michael takes his phone out of his pocket to put the question to rest. "Michael. What are you doing?" Raphael sounds almost alarmed.

          "I'm going to ask her what she meant for you."

          "Dont! You! Dare!" Michael looks back up at his suddenly furious little brother, not really understanding the problem.

          "It's a really simple, straight forward way to find out."

           "I don't care. Don't text her, don't talk to her, don't even breathe in her direction or I will never forgive you."

           "Raphael, I'm just trying to help."

           "I don't care. Until I figure out what to do about this, just leave everything alone. Please." He's practically begging. Raphael almoat never asks for anything, and it is a small thing, so even if it is foolish, there's no real reason not to indulge him.

            "Alright." Michael sighs and puts his phone back. "Let's go talk to the boys at the police station."

            "What's the point? You know it was Lucifer who got them to do it."

            "I just want to make sure before I confront him about this. Vandalizing it himself is one thing, but I had hoped he was past corrupting humanity." Michael sighs and looks back at the remains for one last time.

 

          "I need to talk to you." Michael enters the office where Helel and Alex are playing a sort of three way fetch with Courage. Helel throws the ball away, Courage brings it to Alex, Alex tosses it to Helel and they repeat.

           "What's stopping you?" Is the glib reply, though he stops throwing the ball.

            "Privately."

            "I'll take Courage out to the dog park." Alex takes the leash off the desk. "Call me when you're done." Helel takes out his phone and dials. Alex just gives him a look and heads out, giving Michael a sympathetic pat on the arm as she leaves, hastily retracting her hand. He's so upset it's like touching a hot stove. Not that she blames him.

             "You manipulated a boys youth group into destroying my sculpture." He says flatly. Helel doesn't say anything or even bother to turn around. He just starts tossing and catching the ball. "Answer me, Helel."

           "I didn't realize that was a question."

           "Why?"

           "If you really have to ask, you wouldn't understand the answer." Is the infuriating reply.

           "You don't deny it?"

           "No."

            "So, yet again, you corrupt the innocent." Michael snaps. This finally makes Helel stop and swivel his chair around to face him.

            "Innocents? They were drunk as hell while underaged, and trying to buy drus and a prostitute. I know because they approached me for both. I didn't corrupt anyone. As a matter of fact I gave them a righteous scolding worthy of you and told them to go back to their homes. Is it my fault they decided to act on the other information I gave them?" There it is, refusing to take any reaponsibility for his misdeeds.

         "Don't give me that. You knew exactly what to say to make them do what you wanted them to. You even showed them how to set ice on fire!"

          "True, but you're the dumb ass who put a trubute to the devil in the middle of a nice religious town like this. They got alot more pious after relatives started coming back from the dead and killing them during the apocalypse. Not enough to change their behavior but well..." he shrugs.

           "If you wanted it destroyed you should have done it yourself."

           "What, and risk jail? No, thank you." He scoffs.

           "Do you really think I'd have pressed charges?" Michale sighs. Helel just gives him a look.

           "I think you'd have had them throw the book at me on principle alone." He retorts.

          "Did it even occur to you to just ask me to have it taken down? I didn't make it to hurt or upset you. I was trying to show you that I wasn't ashamed of you or my feelings for you."

        "Well, you won't be able to do that until you actually aren't. Denial's not just a river in egypt, Mitcha." Michael looks breifly confused at the last comment, but just brushes it off, refusing to get distracted.

          "So what was this? Your attempt to convince me I should be? I thought you'd changed. That you were trying to stsrt making things right, and then you do something like this. I can't be with someone like that Helel. You know I can't."

           "Michael." Helel says softly, "I'm sorry. But you can't break up with someone who already dumped you." Michael just looks at him, so upset Helel can't even look at him anymore. He just crosses his arms and turns away.

            "I am so dissappointed in you." And with that, he leaves.

           

           Alex warches Courage running around excitedly with his little freind. No snow yet. Which is odd. It's probably going to be bad when there finally is some. She should make sure the apartment is stocked up on canned goods. Maybe go to the store after this. 

          She should call Raphael later. Take a mild sedative, sit down and talk, apologize for being such a stupid skittish thing. Actually make herself talk about these things instead of just pushing him away as a knee jerk reaction. She should tell him that she wants him to come home again, if she didn't screw things up enough to make him not want to any more.

              Harahel finally found a minor ward against mind reading that should at least keep her from accidentally broadcasting emotional thoughts as prayers. Actually Hara found it a week ago but she was so upset at Krissy for the whole drunken ranting at Lucifer fiasco, she only just contacted her again. Really though, Alex thinks she was more nervous about the possibility of coming face to face with Luci again now that she's sober, which is understandable.

           Why the hell didn't someone tell Alex about the existence of that soell sooner though? Say before she stwrted thinking about stupid irrational embarrassing things like having a baby. Having his baby. They'd make cute babies with little tiny curls and coffee and cream skin and orobably brown eyes. Would their be a way to make sure it was a boy? Maybe if he still had his grace. But then there'd be the whole ridiculously dangerous nephalim pregnancy issue. 

           "Good lord, what is wrong with me? Alex covers her face. How can she swing from 'slow down, we're moving too fast' to 'I want to have your baby' Maybe she needs to go to therapy or something somehow. Or adjust her medication. 

           "Everything okay, dearie?" Mrs. Nosy-with-the-Daschund asks.

            "Yeah, I'm fine." Alex crosses her arms. 

            "We've been seeing you here an awful lot lately. Is Mr. Jones okay?" Though the tone is pure curiosity with not a lick of actual concern.

             "He's fine. He's... visiting his brother." Hopefully she didnt notice the pause.

             "Oh?"

             "Family emergency. He should be coming back soon though."

             "Well, that's good. You know, you really should have a leash for both your dogs and not just the puppy." Mrs. Nosy looks to the fence.

              "My what?" Alex frowns and follows her gaze to see a large dog nosing at a small hole in the fence way to small for him.

               "She's not yours?"

               "No." She looks closely at it. Is that Rhys? No. This one might be a great dane. When Rhys becomes a reasonably sized dog instead of a wolf the size of a small horse, he always becomes a wolfy looking one, usually a jamthund. 

               "I'm calling animal control." Mrs. Nosy decises and whistles. "Suzy." She goes to get her daschund. The dane trots over towards Courage as soon as the other two leave. Courage whimpers a little and backs away. Not an unusual response to a large strange dog. Courage is most decidedly not an alpha.

                "Courage," Alex pats her leg. "Come on, boy. C'mere." But he just edges around the fence of the park away from the strange dog. Alex sighs and starta towards him, to pick uo the little coward and carry him to 'safety', when the dog bolts towards courage, or some accurately a half buried bone near him, sending the pup running. Mrs. Nosy does get the gate closed in time but Courage just heads to the hole in the fence, squeezing through just before Alex can get there. 

            "Shit!" She quickly climbs over, trying to catch up. Thankfully he does not get hit by any cars. Unfortunately it takes her longer to cross and he's no longer in sight when she does. Well, he's a coward, but he's not stupid. He was heading towards home, that's probably where he'll be. That stupid asshole great dane. 

              What if he's some kind of shifter, though? It occurs to Alex that this thing is taking her away from an open public area and into a much more secluded one. And just because the dog wasn't Rhys, doesn't mean its not some sort of shape shifter. That hole, and the timing was a hell of a coincidence. Well that's why she has her keys copied over in silver brass and iron. So she can use them as weapons against almost anything supernatural. Especially the big novelty olde dungeon lock ones.

          She checks around and behind her, but nothing is there. Maybe it was just a big stray or abandoned jerk of a dog. Courage isn't in the ally next to the entrance, of course. And there is a gap in the fence placed between the shelter and the building behind it that he could easily fit through. The little coward probaby kept running.

           "Courage." Alex calls. "Come on,  boy. It's okay. Mommy's here." She looks around again and hears a whimper. When she looks she sees him breifly poke his little nose out from underneath the dumpster in the next alley. Of course. Alex sighs and climbs the fence. "C'mon boy, it's okay. Come on and we'll back inside."She kneels down by the dumpster. She manages to coax him out at least far enough to clip the leash back on when he tries to bolt again. Alex grabs her keys and turns around, slashing the man suddenly standing behind her.

 

           "Luci?" Alex calls. Luci just turns up the music on the computer and covers his eyes with his arm. "LUCI! GODDAMMIT! LUCY SATINE PIVENCIE YOU GET YOUR SCRAWNY SATANIC ASS OUT HERE RIGHT NOW!" What did that little mortal brat just say to him? Luci gets to his feet and strides out of the room to remind the little shit just who the fuck she's talking to. He pauses when he sees Alex at the door, propping up a dead body with a key ring stuck deep in its left eye socket and a foot wedged in the not quite closed door. "I need you to help me dispose of this body."

         "Did you have to use the whole psuedonym?" Luci fights back an amused smile.

          "Well, you don't want to be called Helel Ben Sahar, though I see now why you were the only angel with three names. Your father needed them for when you got in trouble." She snaps in a rather hillarious comment.

           "Not neccisarily, he could have gone the Dave Seville route instead of the angry mother route." He muses.

          "Will you just get this damn foot out of the door?" Alex scowls tugging the corpse. Luci just starts laughing at the sight so hard he almost falls down. Alex sighs, drops the corpse and pulls the foot inside.

           "Did you seriously kill someone? You?" Luci looks the thing over and kneels down by the body. Alex yanks the keys out pulling some brian matter, bone shards and the eye out with it. The fact that Alex looks nothing more than irritated makes Luci start to feel a bit more respect for the human girl. "Wait, where's Courage? Nothing happened to my little doggy nephew did it?"

            "He ran off. Broke the leash." She holds up her other hand to display the torn thing. "I'm going upstairs to go take a shower, wash the eye jelly off my hands and get some clean clothes, then go look for him."

             "And you're just going to leave a dead shifter in the main hall?" He examines the silver burns against his flesh at least there isn't much blood. "Or is it a werewolf. You didn't get bitten did you?"

              "Pretty sure it's a shifter and no to both questions. I'm fine and I'm going to delegate. You're my assistant manager, right? Assist. Take care of it." Alex waves to it.

             "Okay, 'Boss'. And how do you suggest I do that?" Luci raises an eyebrow.

              "I refuse to believe you never had to dispose of a body." Alex crosses her arms, not noticing that she's getting blood and brains on the elbow of her sleeve. Or not caring, but probably just not noticing.

             "Not really. When you disintegrate people there's not much left to dispose of. Anyone I didnt disintegrate, I wanted found."

             "Fine, whatever, and I really don't care what you do it. Burn it, melt it, eat it, chop it into tiny peices and flush it down the toilet, use it for necrotic experimentation, I don't fuxking care, so just knock yourself out." Alex give a him a sarcastic thumbs up with both hands and walks over to the elevator. Looks like somebody's stuck in bitch mode. Why does Raphael want to be with that?

          Of course being given a dead shifter to play with is nothing to sneeze at. He always wondered if there was anything scientifically noticable about a shifter's blood or body that differentiates it from a human. Well, obviously there must be but what is it? He'll have to set up a laboratory somewhere. He's always wanted to play with science. Magic has just been getting too mundane. And you don't need a soul or heavenly grace to do science.

          And he's also been wanting to experiment with liquid nitrogen. Being able to freeze things was incredibly effective against the leviathan when herding them into purgatory. Maybe deep freezing them would be a good way to imprison them. How cold does a body have to get until you can shatter it into tiny peices? And how small do peices of leviathan have to get until they just dissolve in borax completely? How do you dispose of dissolved leviathan? Would it just pull itself back together? Even if not, obviously you can't just dump it. There's no telling what kind of damage dissolved leviathan might do to the environment. Well, he can figure it out.

         "Luci, you got some splainin' to do." Oh, of course Gabriel would think he did this.

          "Hey, this wasn't me. Your little buddy killed a shifter and ordered me to get rid of the mess. Help me take it to the freezer downstairs? I have some experiments I want to do." Luci pouts at her with a pair of big pleading ice blue eyes. 

          "Sure." Gabriel snaps them all to the freezer. "Alex killed a shifter, I'm impressed. Did... what did she do? Stab his brain through his eye socket?"

           "With a silver novelty key." Luci feels oddly proud, though she's not sure why. "We've been training together alot recently. I'm glad some of it stuck."

            "I thought you were just sulking in your room listening to nothing but Black Sabbath and Sick Puppies." Gabriel snaps a body bag on the thing.

        "Well, a 'good morning' greeting of 'Hey Luci, want to come beat me up? ' accompanied by a double chocolate mocha latte and donuts is kind of hard to resist no matter how big of a funk I'm in. We did it usually before Claire and Krissy woke up and she didn't want Michael and Raphael to get overprotective and up in arms over it. She's not as terrible as she was and she can take a beating pretty well, too. She's gotten good enough that I can't really win gently. I hate this pitiful little body." Luci looks at his arms in disgust.

         "Your body is fine." She rolls her eyes.

         "I'm not just talking about aesthetics, paseh. It's weak, scrawny and completely unimpressive in every way. I only did so well against Yuri because I'm faster and understand physics and he can't fight worth shit."

          "I know, but when you can turn into an enormous snake that 'circles the world', there are few problems you can't solve by eating then." Gabriel shrugs, "Look, we need to talk about the ice sculpture though. More specifically, the youth group."

            "Of course we do." Luci sighs and sits down on the body.

             "You need to make amends, Luci. That was wrong." Like he didn't know it was wrong. He just didn't give a fuck. 

             "Fine, just tell me what I need to do now." He leans back against the wall.

             "No." She shakes her curly head. No? Is she serious? He can't read fucking minds anymore. She does realize that, right?

              "What do you mean no?"

              "I mean, you have to figure it out for yourself. I know you're capable. It's a wrong, but a small one and good place to start with learning to right them. We are still working on the competition for who gets to order you about first. It might take a decade, honestly, so you should get some practice in dealing with angry fruatrated people before our siblings step up to bat."

              "Competition?"

              "Sparring matches. It's the easiest way to judge a winner. First every angel fights every other angel and then those with tied scores battle it out for their respective places, from the bottom up. Of course only the angels who were alive when you fell, are out of the abyss currently and sided against you are eligible. But thats still coordinating matches between thousands of angels so..." Gabriel shakes her head. Well, it does give him time. Hopefully Harahel will be one of the first somehow, not likely though. 

           "I see. You're not angry about my manipulating the kids to break the sculpture though?"

           "Well," she sighs sitting down next to him. "I mean I am kind of dissappointed, but no one's dead, no one's injured, and it's not reasonable to think you won't backslide occasionally. Love the sinner, hate the sin and all that. Of course that doesn't mean what you did was remotely okay or that I'm not going to make you clean up your mess."

           "I can understand that." Luci admits. If only Michael felt the same way. Though damnit, why should he care? He ended things weeks ago. 

           "Oh, yeah." Gabriel straightens up. "Thor asked me to get you to do the tracking spell for the leviathan again. No one's been able to replicate it and he wants to get back to hunting Leviathan which is arguable fairly important, and away from Michael and Raphael's relationship problems which he never has patience for regardless of who's involved."

             "Sure. Why not."

             

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bet you thought Luci's plaything was a new lover didnt you? I assure you, it is not.


	18. Freind or Faux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Raphael resume the leviathan hunt  
> Luci has a bad day.  
> Alex is just not herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No matter how much you see it coming, you're never really prepared for a break up.

      'I'm sorry, but its not going to work out. We're just in two different places and always will be. You're a wonderful angel and I'll always care for you, but this just isn't what I want. I'm sorry.'

      Raphael just stares at his phone as he has been for the last hour. Michael sits down beside him and gently rubs his back.

      "What does this even mean?" He finally speaks. "If I'm wonderful and she'll always care about me what... what different places? I don't understand. I gave her space. I'm trying to slow down. I don't really need to be married or... I just... I didnt mean..."

        "I don't know." Michael says gently. "Maybe she's just being nice. Maybe there's nothing wrong with you exactly. Just because people don't work together, doesn't neccessarily mean one of them is bad. Though if you're not what she wants, then clearly the problem is on her end." He likes Alex but if his devoted baby brother's somehow not good enough, then clearly there's something wrong with her abd he deserved better. Not that he doesn't know better than to really insult her. 

        "What do I do? I don't know what to do. There must be something I could do or say that would fix things, but I just don't know what it is." If the tear that falls on the screen wasnt proof enough of how upset he is. The fact he's actually asking Michael after that whole proposal fiasco that started this would be.

        "Be sad, I guess." Michael hugs him. "I know it's not much comfort, but you'll always be my favorite song."

         "Likewise." Raphael buries his face in his brothers shoulder as if hoping the heat will just burn the tears from existence. Michael just holds him for a while, giving the top of his head an affectionate kiss. 

         "Have you considered dating outside your immediate family?" They hear. "Not judging obviously, just asking on behalf of all the eligible individuals in the world."

         "If you're not one of them, what's the point?" Is Michael's unbelievable reply to the thunder god. Raphael's not quite sure weither its Lucifer or Gabriel his elder siblings been spending too much time with, or merely pagans themselves, but at least one won't be an issue for a while. Thor just laughs.

          "Great news, your brother redid the tracking spell for us. Even better news, they are now congregating into three easy to find groups." They turn to see Thor holding up a map of the united stated with rainbow sprinkles coalesced into the three southern most states. Of course Lucifer would use something as ridiculously easily damaged as sprinkles.

         "That's not good news." Raphael informs him. "It means they know we're hunting them and have gathered to defend themselves. Do you remember the difficulty we had with just two? There are several dozen in each state at least."

            "I can get more of the aesir to aid us." Thor offers.

            "No, we need hunters for this." Michael sighs looking at the map. "We'll need the Winchesters."

            "We'll need Gabriel, though and we can't have both her and Sam go. Who will take care of Shelly? And what if they both die at the same time? They might miss her entire childhood." Raphael protests.

           "Why not have your brother watch her." Thor suggests. The archangels just stare at him, not sure whether he's referring to  Lucifer or Castiel. He couldn't possibly be refferring to Lucifer, he's not that stupid. Of course he might be. "Or one of your other siblings. Not Yuri of course, but Hel or Rhys. Well, no not Rhys."

        "We'll ask around."

 

          "No luck?" Luci asks as Alex reenters the building, the empty leash hanging from her hands.

          "What are you talking about? He's right here?" She bends over to pet an empty space. "Who's mommy's invusible boy?" Its only for the fact that she's petting the wrong place that alloes Luci to recognize the incredibly imprressive display of sarcasm is not wither insanity or an actual invisible dog. Very nicely done, but not exactly Alex's usual style.

           "Are you okay?"

           "I'm fine."

           "Why don't you call Raphael, tell him what's happened and ask him to help look."

            "I can't. I broke up with him." She heads to the desk drawer and starts taking out the content. Luci's not quite sure what to say to that. Not that in his heart of hearts he wants any of his siblings romantically with any human, but he doesnt exactly want them dumped by one either. If anyone should be rejected its the squalling apes.

            "Where are your keys?" He asks.

            "Why do you need to know?" Alex rifles through the drawer before slamming it shut.

            "You're acting strangely and I want to make sure you're not actually a shifter."

            "If you really thought I was one, you wouldn't have said that, you'd have just cut me with a silver knife, after which I would of course have no choice but to fire you. If you think I'm being a bitch just say so." Alex straightens up, and puts all three brass silver and iron novelty keys in her mouth for about a minute. "Good enough?" She takes them out and puts them back in her pocket.

             "You did wash those right?" 

            "No, Luci. I licked them clean, savoring the taste of dead shifter fluids on my delicate human tongue."

             "Alright, what the hell is going on with you?" He demands of the sarcastic little brat.

             "Do you really want to know or do you just want me to shut up and leave you alone because I can do that as soon as I find where I put the damn printer ink." She rips out and overturns another drawer on the desk.

             "Honestly, I'm torn." Luci leans back in his chair, and looks at her as the young woman presses her palms into her eyes. "What do you need printer ink for. And no sarcasm or I'll have to shoot you in the eye with a rubber band." He takes aim.

            "Wanted posters. I mean, lost pet..." she corrects herself.

            "Tell me what's wrong."

            "I am a whiney, wishy washy anxious little brat and I'm sick if it. Okay?" She doesnt look up. Not the expected response but she wouldnt be the firt human to grow sick of their own bullshit.

            "Stands to reason. I sure am." Luci shrugs. "You want to reinvejt yourself? Fine, but there's no need for it to be into a raving bitch. You catch more flies woth honey than vinegar after all."

             "Thanks Satan. I'll keep that in mind." She retorts, then gives a breif pause. "You know your assigned middle name is a Wreck It Ralph joke, right?"

              "A what?"

              "Wreck It Ralph. Look it up. I'm going to bed." Alex gets to her feet and leaves the office, her desk still a mess.

              "Well, that's really unprofessional." Luci looks at it and turns back to her computer. So little miss therapist in training is having a bit of an identity crisis. Hopefully she's not going full blown Miley Cyrus. Though that would be arguably amusing.

           The real question right now is wether or not to tell Raphael about Courage or not. His brother probably won't believe him or at the very least would confirm with Alex and he doesnt need to deal with that right now. And thats even if he actually answers the phone or reads a text. No matter what, Luci's sure he'll find some way to blame him for whatever the hell is going on.  Contacting Michael's just plain out of the question. Gabriel would just immediately use it to tet and meddle in Alex and Raphael's relationship which probably would just make things even worse somehow.

          She coudl contact Claire, but she wouldn't interrupt a hunt to look for a lost puppy. Fuck it, though. How hard can it be to find one damn dog? He knows spells. He can handle basic technology. He'll just put on a few layers and go to various animal shelters and such. If his leash broke, that should mean he still has his collar on.

    

          Apparently, it is really damn difficult to find a lost dog. None of the locating spells seemed to work and no matter how many layers you have, South Dakota in December is too fucking cold. At least the new and hopefully improved Alex didnt feel like waking him up this morning. Though he does kind of miss the coffee and donuts. He'll start calling shelters when he gets up if she hasn't already. What kind of dog exactly is Courage anyway? He looks a lot like a wolf pup. But Gabriel wouldn't possibly give them an actual wolf, would she? Of course she would. She gave him a rabbit the size of a large dog, after all. Poor Colonel Floppington. We hardly knew ye.

          Luci gets to his feet and checks the fridge. Still empty. But there's a small box on the counter with a card. 'Sorry for being bitchy, Alex' and some homemade peanut brittle. Thats nice. Nicer if she hadn't let herself in to do it, but still. It's the thought that counts, right? Plus just such a nice rarity getting a genuine apology from someone, comopletely uncoerced and even unasked for. There's also a copy of Wreck it Ralph underneath.

        There's a knock at the door. What now? Luci opens it to see Alex there, holding a box of pizza, and a bag of chips and soda. Its no cofee and donuts but it'll do

         "What some pizza?" She asks almost cheerfully.

          "Sure, but leave the attitude at the door." Luci lets her in. "I cant help but notice you haven't mentioned the statue yet."

          "Why would I?" She puts the food on the counter and takes the movie, putting it in the game station acting as if she owns the place. "What would be the point? It was a stupid gesture. Romantic but missing the point entirely. Why would he think a statue edifying your former glory would reassure you he loves who you are now. It's like if an elderly beauty queen asked her husband if she was still beautiful and he says you sure were and sets up a shrine to her high school prom photos." She goes back to yet the pizzas and peanut brittle and sits down on the cushions on the floor.

          "Thats not what he was trying to say. You're usually more perceptive than that." Luci plops down beside her taking the brittle back. "Are you sure you're alright?"

           "Are you?" She retorts and starts the movie. Its cute and mostly shades of gray morality which seems to be so popular nowadays. Alex seems ridiculously hungry though. Eating whatever feelings don't get adressed by bitch mode apparently. It's almost a competition as to who gets the last bite of brittle.

            "Alex," a thought suddenly occurs to him. "You're not pregnant are you?"  This question causes the girl to choke on her brittle and have to reach for the bottle of soda. 

             "No!" She reaches for the last peice of brittle when she recovers herself, but Luci gets it first. "Hell, no. If I was, I'm pretty sure Raphael would have said something. We've been very careful."

            "There's careful and there's fool proof. And the mood swings, the eating, it would kind of explain it. Plus you've gained a little weight."

            "I'm not pregnant. Are you?"

            "No. Raph made this little number sterile, bless his heart," Luci pats his stomach. 

             "And I'm fairly sure that if I was Raphael would know pretty much the second it was viable. Though, speaking of unexpected gifts from your baby brother, you know your saint medallion necklace you wear all the time?" Alex starts. Luci pulls it out, jingling it a bit. "The original one wasnt from Gabriel like she let you think. Raphael made it while drunk at that supernatural convention you guys crashed last year and told Bree not to tell you."

         "Huh." Luci looks at the necklace. "That was thoughtful, and amusing." St. Raphael, St. Gabriel, and St. Michael medallions, with a personlized dog tag saying 'if lost please return to'.  The St. Michael one is one of a few not showing a full image of the angel, not that any are accurate or with enough wings. But thats good as the usual medallion has that damn picture of the angel about to kill an insultingly hideous representation of himself with a spear. Which is extra anmoying because Luci's weapon is generally the spear and Michael's is a flaming sword so its depicting him being defeated with his own damn weapon. Granted the image is still part of that damn painting but its just the head. 

         "He has a strange sense of humor." Alex decides to take the last slice of pizza instead.

          "As long as we're telling secrets, you know that gorgeous black Hugo Boss trench coat that Raphael wears? Tye one Castiel gave him." Luci taps the bottle against his lips. Alex nods. "I slipped that into Castiel's closet in the bunker as a joke that time I broke in and stole Michael's grace."

            "And shaved a circle on the back of Sam's head and draws a lion face with red permanent marker."

             "Among other things." Luci takes a bite of the brittle.

             "You know, I used to have a crush on Sam?" Alex sighs shaking her head at her own stupidity.

            "Seriously?"

            "Yup. One time, he let me borrow an overshirt because it was cold and I kept it for like a week and slept with it and everything. He and Bree were already clearly in love and I know I didn't have a chance in the world, but I didn't care. He felt like the only one who understood me, when I was coming from where I wanted to go, and he didn't blame me for wanting what I wanted. Stupid, huh?"

           "Not at all. Feeling understood and accepted is a very powerful thing. I used it all the time." He crunches down on a peanut and something cracks. Its not the peanut.

           "You okay?" She sounds fairly unconcerned. 

             "I'm fine," Luci lies as the pain radiates through his skull like a lightening bolt.  The peanut didn't even.... it's not a peanut. Luci spits it out and along with part of a molar, it's a tan peanut shaped rock. Half covered with brittle. "Did you do this on purpose?" He demands, almost astonished that she would have the nerve.

            "What?" She looks over at it. "Yes, Luci, you caught me. I put rocks in the peanut brittle and decided to play a little confectionary russian roulette with out telling you. Are you okay? Is that part of your tooth?" She glances at the little white chip and gets up to get an ice pack from the freezer or something. "Besides does that really sound like something I'd do? To someone who'd have very few qualms in killing me for it?"

          "No, but I'm not familiar with you in prolongued bitch mode." Though Luci still isnt sure. Does he really think she did or does he just want an excuse to beat the fuck out of someone because of the pain? He winces as Alex places the ice pack to his cheek, and ties it in place with a thin scarf.

          "Let me get out of here and I'll call Raphael to come fix this for you." She offers which is a bit touching, but pointless.

          "Don't bother. He doesn't give a fuck about me."

           "Gabriel, then." Alex heads to the door.

           "You have to leave for that?"

           "I don't want to talk about the breakup." Are her understandable parting words.

 

           "Luci." There's a knock on his door. "Are you there?" It's Gabriel. Why is she knocking? Oh, right. The wards. Luci gets slowly to his feet and goes to the door. "C'mon I'm taking you to the dentist."      

             "You're what?" He's sure, due to the throbbing pain in his face and the fact he thinks she said she was taking him to a human tooth doctor instead of just fixing it with a snap of the fingers like she absolutely fucking can, that he can't have possibly heard her right.

               "Taking you to a dentist. It'a a unique and valuable human experience."

                 "So is genocide." He retorts. "Don't joke about this and just fix it will you?"

           "Don't be so ungrateful, having full coverage dental insurance is in itself a miracle of divibe proportions. Don't be greedy."

            "What? No! I'm not going to one of those suicidal psychotics. Are you insane? Do you know what they do to people they put under? They don't just drill teeth. Come back when you're going to take this seriously." Luci goes to close the door, but the pain in his tooth makes him pause. Where did he put that asprin?

             "See, this is why we didnt let you have internet acess." Gabriel grabs the edge of his sleeve and pulls him out, snapping him into something more weather appropriate."You don't have a cavity, you just need it either pulled or filled. And Dr. Sanchez is a perfectly respectable god fearing woman."

             "Those are the ones you have to watch out for." Luci reminds her. "This is ridiculously unneccessary. You can't make me do this."

              "True, but I made the appointment already and if I cancel now we have to pay out of pocket. Which means I'll be taking it out of your allowance and paycheck both until its covered."

               "Why are you doing this? What am I supposed to learn from this? That the human experience in a painful terrible exercise in torturous humiliation? Because I think I've gotten that one down."

               "No, no lesson, I just enjoy seeing you uncomfortable, inconvenienced and in pain thats all." Sounds like someone else is in bitch mode too. Maybe its something in the air.

              "I love you, paseh, and ordinarilly can appreciate your rapier wit, but I'm just a little sarcasmed out right now." He informs her as she takes them directly to the office, yet again using her angelic abilities to do anything but fix the damn problem!

               "Ms. Pivencie?" The person at the desk asks as he comes in. "You're right on time. Come with me."

                "That's suspicious as hell." Luci comments. "No doctors anywhere are ever ready to see you the second you arrive."

                 "It's been a slow day, everyone's rescheduling because of the coming storm." She explains bringing a clipboard over to Gabriel. "We only stayed for you because it was an emergency."

                  "Well, don't I feel special." He heads to the door back as the doctor opens it. "Lets get this over with. And if you even think about molesting me I will strangle you with your own intestines."

              "Someones been googling dentists, I see." The doctor comments dryly.

               "Isn't she just precious?" Gabriel smiles broadly at the stunned receptionist, who just gives her a odd look.

 

              "So what storm?" Luci asks as Gabriel takes her back to the apartment.

              "There's a blizzard coming. Are your kitchens stocked?"

               "No. Gabriel. I need as much liquid nitrogen as you can get me and borax, and a leviathan corpse, preferably in two peices. I can do primary testing on the shifter, but I need a leviathan for the main experiments."

              "What are you planning on doing?" 

             "I'm planning on seeing if I can kill one by freezing it with liquid nitrogen, shattering it into frozen shards and then dissolving them in liquid borax." He informs her, relishing the thought of finally destroying something again. It's just been one of those weeks.

             "Sam said that this warlock used some sort of binding spell that worked for a few days. We're trying to recreate it." Gabriel nods. "If we get that working we can get you one pretty easily."

             "Are you kidding? A binding spell that powerful takes centuries of practice to master. If the liquid nitrogen works, you can get them all at once. It's just a matter of luring them into a good location like a meat locker or refrigerated train car or trailer. You're going to have to use physical law with this, paseh, not just metaphysical." He pats her cheek, and leans against her shoulder. "I think that dentist sedated me more than she needed to."

            "Well, with that greeting, do you blame her?" Gabriel grimaces and knocks on Alex's door.

            "Don't bother her, she's having an identity crisis." Luci grabs his sisters hand. "And she's being all bitchy and I cant kill her because you three still like her though I'm fairly sure she did it on purpose. She's not a shifter, but maybe I should kill her anyways just to be on the safe side."

            "You, know, I think I'm going to put her up in a hotel just to be on the safe side." Gabriel knocks again.

             "Of course she might just be pregnant so I probably shouldnt."

           "I'm not pregnant and I'm fine where I am." Alex calls from the apartment. "And no, I don't want to talk about the breakup."

             "What break up?" Gabriel frowns. Raphael didnt tell her? She going to be pissed. 

              "She dumped Raphael, which was really not what I was expecting or even remotely going for." Luci gives a disgusted sigh. "They never appreciate anything do they? Never know when  they have it good the little entitled brats." His sisters silence is oddly offensive.

                "What? Why did you break up with him?" Gabriel demands. Why isn't she just going.... oh she must have put up her own wards the sneaky little thing.

                "I said I don't want to talk about it."

                "She's had just been so very very bitchy lately. Don't take it personally."  Luci pats his little sisters dismayed face. Gabriel just makes a face and looks at her groggy, chatty brother.

                "I'm going to stack the freezer downstairs, alright? And the fridge. If you want to talk, Alex, I'm here, okay? Do not kill her. Do you understand me, Luci? I don't care if she shaves your head and sets you on fire, do not lay a hand on Alex Jones." Gabriel instructs her brother firmly. He just rolls his eyes. "Don't get anyone else to do it either. I mean it. Don't even joke."

                   "Fine. Just dont eat anything she cooks." Luci pushes away and heads into his apartment. Honestly he just wants to take a nap and forget he's human for a while.

              

               

 

      


	19. See Jane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See Jane  
> Jane's having fun  
> Jane wants Alex  
> Run Alex Run

       Above all things. She hates the cold. In the beginning it was so warm all over, all the time. How can humans stand this weather and this frozen water? Even wrapped up in a thousand layers, snowflakes still blow into her face, her eyes. It's disgusting. How could that creature have any fond memories of this nightmare. It's really just absurd. Humanity is so very strange. Stranger than anything her daughter ever made.

          Fortunatley, the girl is still alive when she reaches the warehouse. Shivering and dehydrated, but alive.

         "God you're a pathetic thing." She takes out a vial of blood from her trench coat pocket. "I can't sent you to heaven, I don't think you'd go to hell, and the abyss, well that's out of the question now, sure I could try to keep you alive, but if you're alive, they could find you and while I love my babies, they're hopeless incompetants. And seriously self indulgent." She grabs the girla face by the jaw, squeezing it until she parts her lips and teeth. "There's no way they'd be able to resist taking a bite of you. Look at you just so healthy and with a perfect muscle to fat ratio. They have no self control they'd just eat you whole....The marbling has got to be just down right exquisite." She pauses before she can inject the blood into the girls mouth and lets her jaw go. "I don't exactly need you whole for this."

        "Wwh-o-wha are you?" The poor thing's jaw chatters. She ignores it and looks for something suitable for a tourniquet. Is she asking who or what? Well, better to assume the less rude question.

        "We don't really have names. But I guess you can call me Jane." She finds a length of rubber hosing among a bunch of discarded needles. Perfect. "You know, he had no taste, no sense of refinement. Everyone knows free range beasts fed on a healthy natural diet just plain taste better. Factory farming. What a stupid idea. Its not as if you're the only things edible on this planet. Pork is plenty good enough for the children. Its much more managable." Jane straightens up and stretches a little bit. "Maybe I'll start calling it, 'short man'." She gives the girl a grin with her own features. "Because you call human flesh long pig? Get it?"

         "I get it. I just don't think it's any funnier now than it was when Krissy made that joke four years ago." Alex says dryly.

         "Oh, thats where I got that from. Witty girl. Doesn't matter though." She pats Alex's forhead and proceeds to tie off her left leg up as close to her hips as she can. "You're a bit of a fool, but you do smell delicious." Jane sighs and opens her jaws just wide enough to bite through the girls thigh, seperating her lower leg from the rest of her. Her screams are a minor annoyance. The flesh is just so delicious and perfect. Even the dirty jeans circling it like some casing, can't detract from the flavor.

          Perfectly fed, perfectly exercised, the absolute peak of human health. The grandchildren need to have a taste of this. To see what they're fighting for. Quality over quantity. But if she lets them have access to all this valuable celestial knowledge, they might ignorantly think they don't need, memaw anymore. There is plenty for them to share with their cousins and of they hadnt gotten so greedy, they wouldnt have come to the pass they did. 

         Plus how could she possibly, share this rare delicacy. Maybe she can take another leg. It wont make a difference. But but then it'll start screaming again. Oh. The girls passed out. Maybe blood loss. She can't risk another amputation. Its just as well. Jane takes the blood back out and squirts it into the back of the girls throat, holding her mouth closes so she swallows.  It's surprising how little you actually need.

          She sits down, nibbling on the calf to make it last. She has to leaen how to do this, how to make a human this deliciously perfect. But at the same time, this is just the perfect position to gather information and torment that arrogant little archangel brat. Of if only she could eat it and be done, but no, that would put everyone on high alert. Her son couldn't have taken control while the archangels were out of the picture. No Dickie boy had to waste time going after that damn tablet, alerting humanity to it's very existence.  

         But it was as much her fault as anything. Let me take care of this, mother. You just go relax in the bermuda triangle, gulp a few shipwrecks and you'll see, everything will be done to perfection when you come back out. Of course Eve'd had her turn already and Jane did need a break from all the squabbling for just a while. 

        Maybe some group therapy. Though Eve won't be getting over being punted back into purgatory after that angel swallowed everybody. Or with her brother trying to murder all her children. He's just jealous that they can't create anymore siblings for him, but Eve can make all the monsters she wants. Its a bit of a relief to know that the archangels squabble equally as badly as her own children at times. Maybe she can try and encourage those rifts. She is now in a position of trust. It could be one of manipulation and not just espionage if she can get her Alex impression down right.

        Though it is tempting to just try and sneak in and eat everybody. Take everybody by surprise, but no, Michael is too powerful to take down alone and his in laws too knowledgeable. She hasn't stayed alive and on earth by being rash. This infiltration alone, took so much preparation, even if the end wss kind of rushed. Jane was stalking the brat for days, and she could have used more time, but the thing was about to invite the archangel back and it would have been useless. 

         The blood works remarkably quickly. Evie did always have a talent at this. The creatures she made are simply adorable. Pity she and her brother couldn't just get along. There's no shortage of human beings. Though Eve's children could be a bit more selective in who they turn. Make it a reward for those bright sparks of humanity who are more than just peices meat. Maybe Dick's little droplets wouldn't look down on them so much if they weren't just made of any and every one they found when its convenient. 

         A little discipline, self control, thats all they need. Once she has a balanced workable sustainable ecology going she can work on getting the rest of the family back. Provided they they learn to stop squabbling and share their toys like good children. Its a good thing she's immortal because this is going to take forever. Not this part though, this is almost over and done with. The stump stops bleeding and her newest granddaughter opens her eyes. 

           "There we are." Jane smiles. "Better now? I bet you're thirsty. Oh but dont worry, that won't be a problem for long."

           "What did you do?" She looks panicked. A silly question as she clearly knows exactly what Jane has done.

           "I made it so your pert little soul will go right to the one place they can't find you, that's all." She winks at.her and boops the girls nose with her finger. "If you see my son and daughter, tell them Mommy's cleaning up their mess and until those two learn to get along, and play nice, they can just stay right where they are." Little Lexi looks confused.  But she'll learn soon enough. Jane puts down the rest of the leg and sends her on her way. As expected, vampirism just completely ruins the flavor.

 

           Alex is suprised to find herself suddenly with all her limbs and yet without a feirce desire for human blood, not that she could get any if she is where she thinks she is. The light doesnt burn her eyes either, or make her the least drowsy. Smells are crisp and inanimate like breathing the air in a cold autumn forest after having a stuffy nose for weeks. The noises don't overwhelm her system, either. Not that there is much noise. Just a distant rustling and cracking of leaves and twigs that becomes a closer rustling.  

            Someone bursts through the clearing, looking surprised to see her standing there. He doesnt hesitate, though he swipes at her with a long protruding spike from his wrist.

          Instinct and training take over and she doges, slamming him to the ground and, wrenching his arm from his socket. He grabs with his other hand grabbing her by the neck to bite her but she surprises him by moving forwards intowards him, teeth descending as she moves, and rips his throat out first. When his hand goes slack she rips his head off the remaining portion of his neck. Decapitation works on almost everything.

          "Holy fuck!" She tosses the head away and looks at her hands. There are sounds, more things approaching. His freinds? She doesnt want to wait around to find out. She just starts running.

 

          "Where the hell have you been?" Luci demands as Jane returns to Alex's apartment.

          "Looking for my damn dog thats where." She doesnt have to fake a cold shiver. "Stop breaking into my apartment."

           "Fair's fair, you broke into mine." The wingless waterbug drinks a cup of hot chocolate that does not belong to it. She should eat it. Just say it went out to get something and never came back. Got caught in the storm maybe who knows? It happens, things happen. If only it was actually stupid enough to make it believable. "Drink." It It pushes over an adittional mug for Jane. "We need to talk."

          "About..." she picks up the mug. Oh it's so warm and smells so good. Mixed with a little human blood it'd be perfect. Oh, a mole sauce, for little kebabs made out of her calf.

            "This little attitude problem of yours." The devine manifestation of attitude problems proclaims. She's definitley been over doing it with the sarcasm. But she likes bitchy Alex. Being bitchy Alex is almost enjoyable. Not that this flightless bird has any right to lecture anyone about anything.

            'I'm going to break you." Jane says to herself. 'I am going to break you into peices, crumble you on top of an ice cream sundae and feed it to your siblings.' But she just forces herself to make that mildly abashed face Alex would at the moment.

           "I know you're having all sorts of identity issues and dad only knows I understand that kind of existential crisis, but you're not exactly trying tocome back from being the devil, so suck it up and stop being such a bitch. Because I am in no mood for this, and , If you keep pushing me, little girl, no amount of my siblings affection will save you. Understand." Luci looks her straight in the eye. Little does it know. Jane can't quite keep the laughter out of her expression so she's forced to turn it into tears instead.

         "I'm sorry." She sobs, covering her face, because the self loathing little putz would apologize for being rude to the devil. That spineless whining little coward of a dog was perfect for her. Though it didn't taste that bad either. Almost good honestly. That archangel lover of hers knows how to raise livestock. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm just so anxious and miserable all the time and I hate my self and I hate my life and I just don't know what to do." She buries her face in her arms on the table.

          "Well, just stop being such a sass mouth and we'll figure out the rest." The so called father of lies just pats her head. "Why dont you just drink your hot chocolate, take a hot shower and go to bed. It'll look better in the morning."

          "Okay." She sniffs lifting her head slightly. Just enough to make eye contact but not enough to reveal the lack of actual tears. The diminished devil finishes her mug and gets to its feet, not even bothering to put it in the sink. She watches the empty thing steal some food from the freezer and go back to its apartment.

        Good lord how the mighty have fallen. This is absolutely hillarious. It doesn't even really care about the girl at all. Not beyond keeping her safe and sound for her brother. Which it already screwed the pooch on. And to top it off even that much is in a pathetic attempt to regain the angels favor. This is the being that tried to destroy humanity.  Whatever they did to reduce him to this is just sad. And priceless.

           She can remember Helel ben Sahar, all those Days ago, freezing the waters, herding her and her children towards the portal to purgatory, that empty dry hollow wasteland. The darkness and light twined so perfectly inside it. She had wanted to approach him, to bring him to them, in the water where he clearly belonged, but that flaming temptress was always in the way, making it impossible to come close. That same harlot who bewitched and dismembered her mate when the darkness chose him to lead the battle against the light, leaving Jane just bits and peices to consume and turn into her children. Granted she accidentally consumed an odd burnt bit of feather that wasnt his as well, but that made Eve, and her daughter is such a delightful thing. 

         Michael, that violent whore. Murderer of children, of lovers. That abomination will have to suffer as well. She almost got revenge as she was forced to retreat back then, taking advantage of the lull to strike at one of its dearest siblings. She would have devoured it completley too, but Helel got in the way and it was so cold it burned. But it's not cold now. 

         Its human and scrawny and vulnerable and weak in so many delightful ways. What to do first. She has no clue. Just so many possibilities. There are some people it's freindly with at the shelter it has to work at. Maybe she could harvest a few, make a few burritos, shreded long pig with bbg sauce, some man tikka masala kebaba, and just out them.in the freezer for it to take in his food raids. Just tell it there was a sale on pork. Most people dont taste right without seasoning not like that delicious Alex.

          Maybe its good that she didnt succeed in destroying that angel back then. It never would have learned how to raise such delicious beings. She has to get hold of him somehow. Take his knowledge, though she can't unless it's fully human. If it isn't human, it'll know right away that she's not his Alex.  The wards are up for the Apartment. And she did completley undeniably break up with him, so he should keep his distance. Hopefully. If not she'll just have to kill it straight off and learn proper human husbandry the hard way. That girl was so delicious though. Helel, no 'Lucy' is a scrawny malnourished thing not even worth flossing with. Maybe she can fatten it up properly like its sibling did for Alex. Fatten it up on its freinds and worshippers. This is going to be fun.

 

           Alex quickly finds a river, fortunately. Perfect for hiding in and masking her scent. Theres nothing else that will do it. There are no birds or bugs or animals of any sort to provide a proper organic odor. Just plants and trees and monsters. Disguising herself as another kind of monster would be pointless. Besides there's barely any wind and she'd still make sound as she moved.

          She doesnt actually need to breathe so after a quick sound check in the rushes she retreats back under the water, continuing slowly down the bottom of the stream. The blood and gore from that first attack has blessedly all washed away. 

            There's movement and sound off to the side just in.the corner of her eyes. Alex turns to see a beautiful woman with long red hair and a loose white gown, looking at her curiously. Her skin is pale with bluish lips. She raises a dark eyebrow pointing to the surface. Its only as she rises that Alex realizes the woman isnt breathing either. Not that something like that should be a shock given they're in purgatory.

       "Hello." Alex gives a sheepish smile, her fangs having thankfuly retracted.

        "What are you doing in my bend of the river?" The voice is heavily accented. Russian or some sort of eastern european. 

         "Hiding. I'm sorry." 

          "I was half expecting a dismembered body." She huffs, sitting on the river bank, her hair in the water. "What kind of thing are you?"

          "I'm Alex." She wrings out her wet hair. "I didn't mean to intrude. Thank you for not attacking me."

          "You're not my type," the women grins "I'm Daryna, yes like the river. I'm a Rusalka. A real one not the ghost story they told later. And you are?"

          "Vampire. Killed literally as soon as I was turned, give or take a few seconds." Daryna gives a sharp intake of breath and a wince at this, that seems pure pity. "Someone wanted me out of reach of heaven and hell. I thought purgatory was nothing but constant fighting and murder."

          "You poor thing. For you it will more likely involve running and hiding from the leviathan and the bounty hunters. A half turned vamp is the closest thing to a human we usually get here. I'd make my way to Mother's as soon as I can and get that taken care of." Daryna clucks, the stops and looks over at her. "Who told you about purgatory. This is nothing like.( What they were saying it was when I was killed."

            "Well, I... I knew a few people who's been here. They give a few lecture on it at this hunters school." Alex says carefully. Given what she knows it probably isn't a good idea to bandy about a personal connection with either Castiel or Dean Winchester. 

           "You're a hunter?" Daryna says coldly.

            "No. My sister is, though."

            "And brought this whole mess down on you with it I'm sure. Oh, dont get me started on hunters. Some one was strangling and drowning young men and dumping them in my river. Naturally I was very offended and withdrew my protections from them. So 'Rusalka is murdering our children' they cried and called for a hunter, forgetting I'd been blessing their lands and feilds for centuries. He catches me trying to dislodge another disgusting corpse stuck in the roots near one bend, doesnt even speak czech of any kind and attacks me. Not Very well, I cut his head off, but of course if you kill one hunter, they all decend on you so I didn't last long. I took a few more down but I don't even remember getting killed beyond my head separating from my body."

          "Rusalka Daryna." Alex gasps. "Your actually a case study in the. Suoernatural anthropology  class. The bodies kept coming after you were killed and they found out it was some rich man raping and murdering them and disposing of his victims in the stream. The entire town fell to ruin after because of famine and drought with in years. People starved and froze to death. An example of why its important to both know your monsters and never discount other humans."

         "Well, at least they're learning. I was only keeping it up for the honeybees at that point." Daryna reats her head on her hand. "So what were you, person turned vampire who was freinds with hunters but not one of them?"

         "I'm a therapist." Alex replies with a self mocking smile. "At least in training to be one. I intended to councel those traumtized by the supernatural but somehow ended up mostly counceling traumatized supernaturals themselves." The rusalka looks as if Alex just started speaking gibberish. "I'm a doctor who treats severe emotional and behavioral problems caused and experienced by supernatural beings such as ourselves."

           "That is a profession?" 

           "Kind of." She shrugs. "I have freinds in high places." She pauses as she hears herself say that unintentional pun. Is it a pun? She's not sure. Buts terribly bad whatever it is. "And I'm running a shelter while I go to school. I do have an assiss...oh dear god! Lucy!" Alex covers her mouth as she realizes the leviathan that took her place has complete and utter access to the one person they were trying to keep the leviathan away from. Then she realizes she's actually worried about the devil about as much as she is the rest of them and she's not quite sure how she feels about that.  "Is there any way to get out of here? There's a portal to hell some where isn't there?"

           "You mean Sheol? No, Alexai, I know it may be hard to beleive but there are worse places to be than purgatory. That is one of them." Daryna gives her an odd look, as if trying to determine of Alex is the one in need of a therapist. She probably is, to be honest.

            "Its important. My freinds are in danger."

             "The living take care of themselves, and  even so, if there once was a portal there isnt one now. The reapers cleaned house, patched the holes, got rid of the rogues and freelancers. No more back doors. You're here for eternity."

             "Untill they kill me again." She says flatly. Daryna just sighs and shakes her head. But she doesnt know, the abyss is no longer oblivion. Its... "Oh thats it. I have to die again. You have to kill me."

         "Oh, very well, but only so you won't be killed by some sadist the first time." The Rusalka sighs and spread her arms, whipping her hair like copper wires till they curl around Alex's head ripping it from her shoulders.

        

          

         

            

           

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes she is named Jane because of The leviathan's previous leader being Dick Roman. Its a Dick and Jane books joke, in case the title and summary waren't enough of a clue.


	20. Trials and Tribulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex's options  
> Jane torments Luci

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dite- czech for child  
> maka holka- czech for little girl
> 
>  

             The pain only begins to ebb as her throat knits together enough for her to gasp for breath, an act of pure habit more than anything else. Alex's hands fly up to her throat and she opens her eyes to see Daryna leaning over her, a pitying expression in her eyes. The rusalka pats her head and gives a sigh.

          "It never ends, dite." she runs her fingers through her hair. "Never never. The worse and more thoroughly you are killed the longer you stay dead. And death is no release, only constant agony every second your soul is split in two. The Levis if they like how you taste, they take your head plant it in the preserves, they call it their garden, and eventally it dissolves and you reform there. The process tends to be a bit maddening. If you're unfortunate enough to arrive there you often die several times before you even find out about the rest of the place.

         "I've heard stories, from bounty hunters. A while ago when the levi's began to return. An angel came when their king did, and a human. A live angel and a live human who not only were supposed to have sent the king back too purgatory, but was the same angel who took them out and the human who sent Eve back in. Though that was added later and probably not true. You know how legends grow.

        "Anyway the king of the levi put out a bounty for them dead or alive and so did Mother Eve. But they were in the preserves and only the boldest of the most elite bounty hunters went in after them. Their presence drove the maddened ones even madder and they separated making it even harder to find them. It was worth more to have them both you see. 

        "But the human kept trying to get back to his angel. He killed everything that came his way, bounty hunter and leviathan fodder alike. No one could find him unless he was close and when he was that close you didn't want him to be. If he killed you, you were lucky. If he caught you, you'd better know something about the angel and tell him as soon as he asked or you'd be lucky to only have one peice to find.

        "Supposedly the angel got him out some hows but stayed behund then other angels broke in and snatched the angel away. I don't know how true it is. I just stay in my stream. Its safe there. the rebel leader claims to have been fhe humans companion and escaped with him only to return later. But thats obviously a lie. Who would willingly return to purgatory?" Daryna snorts. 

       "Benny Laffite is the head of the rebels?" Alex asks without thinking. The rusalkas head shoots up at this.

        "How did you know his name?" Daryna demands.

        "The hunters school is fairly comprehensive. Benny Laffite helped Dean Winchester find a portal for humans to leave purgatory and Castiel the angel. Who are the rebels? Who are they rebelling against?"

         "Oh everybody and everything. They think they can tell both Eve and the Levi to fuck off and be fine. They dont want to fight a war for fueding brother and sister? too bad they'll die for it regardless. They're small and largely igprotecat the moment but once the fighting stops then the reckoning will come. They can't protect you. They can't even protect themselves." she warns.

        "Where are they?" Alex demandss.

        "Listen, maka holka. You need allies who will gather the peices of your body when you die and hold them together or to find and burn your head if the leviathan like the taste of you so you can return sooner. You do not need some silly little revolutionaries to fill your head with dreams and nonsense." Daryna scolds. Alex just crosses her arms. "oh, very well." she moves back and draws a squiggle in the dirt, branching out into larger squiggles. " This is my river. This is the ocean. Thats where the Levi's live. Do not go there. This area." she draws a line mirroring the seashore. " Is their garden. Dont go there either. You will die repeatedly. This is the demiliterized zone or as I like to call it Bounty hunter valley. Dont go there unless you intend to hunt for Eve. You cant hunt for the Levi's as there's nothing you can give them that theyd want more than to eat you. I dont think they where to hire a therapist."

         "Noted." Alex nods.

         "Here's Eve's kingdom. Right now, if you live here she'll make you march through here to kill everyone in here and to try and behead the gardiners as well. To draw out the levi's. You'll want to go to her palace here and see what you need to do to go full vamp so your life won't be unending torment." Daryna draws a circle in the left hand corner.

        "I asked about the rebels?" Alex reminds her.

        "They're in the quarry." She says flatly making an x at the other end of the river.

         "Thank you." Alex gets to her feet and walks down the side of the river banks against the current. If anyone is willing and able to help her in this god forsaken place, its a freind of Dean's.

 

       Luci drags herself to the elevator, towel in hand. This entire week has been a nightmare.They've been snowed in for five days straight. The thermostat in his apartment has been going all wonky from oven to freezer in a matter of hours. Alex's apartment seems to have the same problem but no one can get here to fix it. Gabriel was entirely unhelpful unsympathetic and just said to leave the windows shut when its too hot so they wont freeze when its off but she does not understand quite how hot its getting.

       The damn elevator starts flickering as it has all week, threatening to shut down or short out. But it doesnt do break because on some level it must know that if it does he will dissassemble it personally and fifilthe shaft with cement. Hmm. could you turn borac melted leviathan into cement? cement castings? What would piss everybody off the most? Make them cemetary angel statues. No, weeping angels. Sell them to rich whovians and have Gabriel move them when no one's looking.

        The elevator shudders and he grabs the hand rail. Fuck this he's taking the stairs back up. Maybe the dead shifter became a poultergeist. Can that happen? Or do they just go straight to purgatory? He'll have to burn the body just to be safe. Afterhe sauna. Now his own body just keeps going from hot to cold and back again. Is he sick? Is this what sick is? The air is so cold its hard to breathe. Then he air is so warm and humid that its hard to breathe. Maybe its just hard to breathe. But at least when he lays down on he bench its warm and dry.

        "Hey, Luci-fer." Does hippy girl think she's being clever or something? "You look terrible."

         "You don't smell so good. Like rotting patchouli. So we're both less than pleasant to be around. Lets oretend we aren't." he puts an arm over his eyes.

         Have you seen Jonah?" She asks as if she thinks Luci is actually listening. Maybe he'll just sleep down here now. But no he does want to leave his apartment unguarded. Its not like he could bring Michael's drawings down here. They might catch fire and its too damp by the pool. Michael's shirts would be too warm or get moldy. The scrapbook of ticket stubs menus and programs Michael mmadefrom their dates wouldnt fare well either. He doesnt even want to think what the damp and heat might do to his fathers guitar.

          That trophys cheap it might melt. Michael wasnt so concerned with right and wrong when Luci stole it from the winners of that dance competition they entered. Of course it was obvious to everyone that they were the best pair there and it was sheer nepotism that made them lose to those clods. of course Luci stole it himself and no ine was harmed or corrupted in the process. But still.  

       Why is he even worried? Alex isnt the kind to destroy personal possessions without major  provocation. He hasn't given her any. If anything shes given him plenty. What does she think she's doing anyway? Breaking up with Raphael and being all bitchy and moody and acting all weird.

        "Somethings wrong with Alex." he says out loud.

        "I asked about Jonah." Lil miss bartered love sounds annoyed 

        "I dont gie a flying fuck about Jonah."

        "I don't give a flying fuck about Alex."

        "Now that we've cleared that up, shut up and let me sweat this out." Luci tries to thini but ye can't. Everything in hus body is achy and sluggish and sore. Somethings not right.

       "He's not responding when I knock on his door." why is she still talking?

       "Don't care."

        I'd ask Alex but she's beem giving me weird vibes lately." 

        I'm not checking on Jonah. my body's not working right and I'm not doing anything for anybody until it is. You go check on him if you're so damm worried."

          "And what? Break down the door?" her voice is dripping with sarcasm.

           "You're not worried enough yo breaknin you're not worried enough to summon the devil to do your bidding."

            "Fine." she finally shuts up and lets Luci get decently warm for once  She'll have to say something to Alex. Get the keys or something. Jonah hasnt complained about luttle miss share the wealth lately so maybe he's sick too. If he dies that'd be fsirly inconvenient. Alex might make hum get rid of the body and hes just not in he mood.

         Make' him. As if that little brst can make him do anything. Its Gabriel thats making him. He needs to put that liytle human thing back in her place. Who does she yhink she is beaking up with Raphael? Ordering everybody about like she owns the damn place. She's just a little mortal squishable thing. He's killed so many like her its ridiculous. Luci gets back to his bacy and slowy makes his way back upstairs. 

          "Luci, there you are." Alex has the door open to let the heat out. "You look terrible. have you eaten?"

           "Not hungry." he goes to his door

            "You look like you're about to fall down. Come on. Come sit down and have some soup." Alex comes over and leads him over to her apartment and its confir couch and soft pillows and fluffy comforter. She gives him a bowl of steaming hot soup that he cant smell but looks delicious  "You should really let me call Gabriel." She sits down with a bowl of her own and starts sipping the broth.

           "I'm fine. Its just a cold. They pass. I'll be fine. I'm not un warding my apartment and She'll want to talk bout Michel and  I'm not talking to Michael or about Michael just no.... no Michael." He sips the broth. What he can taste is kind of good. "I guess you picked up some cooking skills from Raphael after all."

        "It was bound to rub off eventually." she smiles as he ests a peice of meat. Its hard to tell what kind it is. "He is justhm the best cook isnt he? you should have tasted the meat he seasoned. Actually you are." she nods to the bowl.

        "oh?"

        "Yup," She smiles sweetly. "I used the very last bit for this soup. You've been having a tough week so I thought I'd treat you." Alex winks at him making Luci feel uneasy for a bit. "Oh I'm rying to clean my apartment. Do you have any more Borox?"

        "Yes,"

        "Great its ridiculous how dirty this place gets even without that stupid dog making messes over everything." She looks and sounds annoyed. But she shouldnt. she loves that dog. She should be talking about his messes luke Gabrieo talks about Shelly destroying the high chair. Especially since he's missing. Why isnt she worried? "Where is iy?"

       " I'll get it." 

       "No your sick you stay cozy and eat your soup. If you dont like it let me know and I'll finish iy. I'm absolutely starving."

       "Are you sure you're not pregnant?" Luci eyes het suspiciously.

        "Very sure." She rolls her eyes and heads over to Luci's apartment. It is good pork though the steam starts to clear his sinuses enough to start smelling things again. There's an oddly familiar sceny underneath yhe broth. He's cant remember what it is. But its not pork. 

 

           "We'll just have to behead them all and do something about yhe bodies later. I don't supoose you could dump them back into purgatory." Dean looks yo Michael who shakes his head.

           "There are enough angels left to keep the winged ones from getting out."

          "The what?"

          "Hey." Sam walks over to Raphael as he looks at his phone or more specifically all the pictures if Alex. "You okay?"

          "I'm fine" he replies quickly closing the gallery. "You should probably make sure Thor and your wife don't demolish the barn."

          "They'll be fine. Castiels with them." As if Castiel has any control over them.

          "She'll just turn him into a kitten afain if he tries." Raphael shakes his head and stops himself from opening the gallery again.

          "You two have a thing for cats dont you." Dean makes an annoyed comment. Raphael just gives a small grin. "Thanks for the assist turning us back by the way." he nods to Michael who's looking a little distracted himself.

          "That was actually pretty interesting." Sam admits. " I think he and Babe got along better as tiger cubs than he do as people." Apparently they ended up play fighting and chasingach other around the bunker much to Shelly's delight. Castiel didnt even bother calling for Michael until Shfory started calling for mama.

         "The next timethey're getting on your nerves just let me know." Raphael offers. Both Dean and Michael give him remarkably similar looks of annoyance at this. Its probably the eyes. Raphael's phone rings. Its alex  "I'll be right back." He takes himself far enough away noto be overheard. "Hello?" He answers before it can ring a second time. Was that too quick? He probably sounds desperate. Maybe he should have waited. 

          "Raphael? I'm sorry to call you but I'm worried about Luci." That has to be an exuse or pretense. She would never be so stupid as to think he'd actually care or want to hear anything about that creature.

          "Oh?" is his brilliant reply.

         "He's sick. Really sick and kind of delerious I think. When I took his temperature it was a hundred and thee and he started accusing me of feeding him human flesh. It was pork. I tried calling Gabriel but it went to voice mail."

        "He what?"

        "And he's barracaded himself into his apartment. I managed to get the wards down when I went to get cleaner. But his heat is broken and I know he hasnt been eating. Maybe I should have called Michael instead of you but I didn't..."

        "No. no, thats fine I'll go look in on him." He quickly says. Michael does not need to be bothered with that reprobate. He's hurt him enough. "Are you alright? He didnt hurt you or anything did he? Do you have enough food, blankets?"

         "I'm fine. Just tired. I'm kind of worn out from dealing with him so I'm just going to go to bed. Okay?"

         "Alright. Hows courage?" but she's hung up before he can even finish asking the question. He'd better just go heal the bastard and get it over with. 

          The wards are off the apartment and every peice of movable furniture is in front of the door. a quick snap puts everything back. Lucifer is in his room, sick. Ridiculously so with fairly severe pnuemonia.  He's made some sort of nest out of every blanket and article of clothing he has as well as almost everything he owns. Michael's old plaid shirt is wrapped around the guitsr case and Luci's holding onto it so tightly he must think it'll run away. 

         Its an easy fix. Though Lucifer is definitely malnourished. Its almost funny seeing his confusion as he wakes to see himself surrounded by his posessions.

         "Raphael?" He looks confused when he notices his brother kneeling beside him and irritatingly pleased in tye bargain. "How did you get in?"

          "Alex erased the wards earlier. She called me and asked for help because you were sick and spouting nonsense." but this confuses him more. "You accused her of feeding you human flesh."

         "I did?" Lucifer rub his eyes. "Right. The stew. I thought I was dreaming maybe, but no it was definitely long pig not pork."

          "And you know this because you tasted human flesh so recently?" Raphael remarks dryly. Though he's sure his brother has before, you cant actually taste things when occupying a vessel.

          "No it was the smell. Its different." Luci shakes his head 

          "You were sick Lucifer. And your senses arent functioning right. How could you ever have thought something so utterly absurd?"

          "There's something wrong with Alex, Raphael." Lucifer shakes his head. "Somethings not right. She really hasnt been herself lately."

           "Then who is she? A shifter? a ghost? Is she possessed? A leviathan? And which of those would not have killed you the first chance they got?"

          "No. I don't know. But somethings wrong. I keep thinking she's pregnant but she says she's not."

          "She wasnt the last tine I saw her." Raphael feels a biy strange at thw thought.

         "Well that was three weeks ago. She could be now."

         "Let me rephrase that. If she is, its nit mine and not my concern or yours " Though the thought makes him irrationally angry. "Just stay away from her Lucifer  I don't care who ot what she's doing or done or who she's... who sees seeing.... I don't care. Leave her alone or you will experience the full amount of pain a human body can experience, do you ubderstand me?"

          "Raphel,I've just ben trying to take care of your human for you and I'm telling you theres something wrong with her."

       "Its not her. It's you. You're human now and not taking care of your body, you haven't bothered to learn how it works and you aren't acknowledging your own biases and fallability. Stop meddling in my affairs and hers and just leave us alone. I dont care what you think what you do I will never forgive you so just stop."

      "I know you wont forgive me. I'm doing this because I love you and care about you and your happiness you brat." Luci snaps, hugging the blankets around his shoulders.

      "If you loved me you'd care about what I want. But you don't because the only thing you love is yourself. You can't even love Michael and he died for you."

       "The hell I don't. And don't pretend you think this is some big tragedy and  want us together because I know you don't. But you know what, fine. I'll leave it alone. But when the shit hits the fan and we find out whats wrong with Alex I'm not just telling you I told you so I'm screaming it to the heavens."

       "Thats mature. And will never happen because being human has made you even more arrogantly stupid than you ever were before."

       "Fuck you Raph why do you go cry on Michael's shoulder because Alex doesnt love you anymore." Luci lays back down covering his head with the blanket. Raphael just leaves without another word.


	21. Crazy Stupid Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci tries to take responsibility  
> Raphael is an idiot.  
> Michael and Luci make up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay. sorry about that. all done now.

      "Can I help you?" the policeman looks up from the front desk.

       "Yes. I've come to confess." Luci leans on the counter. The officer gives him an odd look.

       "Okay. What to?" 

        "Underaged drinking, using a false ID and inciting others to commit a crime."

        "Seriously." he raises an eyebrow at her.

         "Yes."

        "Get the fuck out of here, kid. Go find something constructive to do." He looks away.

        "No. I manipulated people into breaking the law and destroying privage property. Thats illegal so I'm here to take responsibility for my own wrong doing. Now are you going to book me or am I going to have to start pelting you with rubber bands until you arrest me?" He takes one out of his pocket and takes aim. The police officer just looks at him with a blank vaguely irritated expression.

       "Alright." He picks up the phone, rubbing his temple,"Take a seat. Someone will be with you shortly. Yeah is Sally in? No... no... just send her down to speak to a miss... what's your name miss?" He asks her.

       "Lucy Pivensie." Luci takes out hus ID when he gives her an annoyed look. "No, really." he hands it to him. 

       "Lucy. Tall skinny kid. Just... come get her " The officer looks it over. "You're seventeen."

        "Yessir."

        "So I'm guessing this is not the fake ID you got alcohol with?"

        "No sir."

        "Parents were CS Lewis fans I take it."

         "Not that I know of. It wouldnt surprise me though." she shrugs.

          "Do your parents know you're here?" He asks. Luci just shrugs.

           "Ms. Pivencie?" A woman in a cheap dress suit and with a clipboard comes up front. "Hi. I'm Sally. You needed to see me?"

          "I'm here to turn myself in but you're not a police officer." he crosses his arms.

           "No. Not really." She looks confused."I'm a counselor with social work. Um, why don't you come with me and tell me what's going on." She looks concerned.

          "Why the hell not?" He follows her into the back 

        

          "Ah, son of a bitch." Dean picks himself up off the floor behind the bar, his ears still ringing from being thrown against the shelves. There's glass in his hair of course. And the suoer soaker full of borox is broken  Well at least it's cheap.

          "Dean, are you hurt?" Castiel is at his side in an instant.

         "Kind of knocked me for a loop but I'm fine."

          "No, you are not fine." They look over to see Raphael shove another leviathan head on a pike. "Castiel, examine the subdermal cranial blood vessels."he snaps at his younger sibling and gets another. "Have you forgotten everything I have just taught you?"

         "Who pissed in his..." Dean feels light headed for a moment before Castiel touches his forhead. "Cheerios."

          "You must be more careful." Castiel pleads, givin him a kiss before he can protest with the lie that is he careful.

          "You too Cas. Are you alright? They didnt get you anywhere did they?" Dean looks him over.

          "No."

          "Hey, Michael, what's the score?" Dean calls making his way to the other room. 

           "Raphael three, Gabriel one, Sam one, Castiel two, Dean three, Thor two, and I'm at four." Michael replies putting his blade away. "That means we lost sixteen of them."

           "No that means we got sixteen. We didnt lose anybody." Dean corrects him, "Which is damn good for a bar full of Levi's. I'd say this calls for a drink, but..." he looks back to the ruined bar.

        "We should have done better."Michael of course is never satisfied.

        "Here you go." Gabriel tosses four heads in between them, tied together by the pony tails. "The protections on my leg work fairly well, but not well enough." she twists off her mangled prosthetic. "On the plus side, after this replacement the next one's free and the representative said she'd give me a prize if the next story of how I wrecked my prosthetic is as good as the last."

        "Will you please just let me regenerate your damn leg?" Raphael demands in full exasperation.

        "No. But you can whip me up those crutches. I"m still lagging with getting my powers back. Anyways at least we have enough bodies for Luci to experiment with. I'll have to rent out a meat locker somewhere. Hey, Cas..." she turns to him sounding as if she has an idea 

         "You're not storing those things in the bunker," Dean says quickly.

         "Near my little Shelly girl? Of course not. Cas help me take these to antarctic for a bit? We'll store the heads in the arctic. Think that's far enough apart?"

        "Why not take them to Callisto." Dean jokes.

       "That moon is mine too, Gabriel, and you are not putting those disgusting things on there." Raphael glares at his sister warningly.

        "The arctic is fine." Michael says quickly. "In iron boxes, locked and warded. Take no chances."

        "Locked, warded, encased in cement." Gabriel salutes and hops over to the nearest chair. "Alright. Lets see who's been blowing up my phone." She takes it out and listens to the voice mail. "Oh for dad's sake." she covers her face with her hand.

        "Let me guess. Lucifer's causing more trouble." Dean speaks up voicing pretty much everyone's assumption.

        "Eh, not exactly. Raph, I need those crutches and maybe a lift. He is such a damn drama queen, seriously." She sighs.

        "Where is he?" Michael demands. Raphael shoots Gabriel a warning look.

         "Souix falls police station." She ignores her brother's threat. "He turned himself in for inciting criminal activity. Namely the desecration of your statue. And under aged drinking."

          "Did not expect that." Dean comments to Sam who nods in agreement.

          "It's a good thing I got those murders in Kansas buried." Sam shakes his head. "So we're posting bail?"

          "No. They didn't take him seriously and sent him to social work instead, so we're probably going to have to deal with CPS again." Gabriel grumbles.

          "You did take care of the CPS reports in Sunvale didn't you?" Raphael asks Gabriel doubtfully.  She gives a shrug. "Gabriel..."

          "Well, it didn't really come to anything and we have been busy, plus Claire and Krissy got the thing with the hospital worked out when Luci got shot. Oh, he still has those holy fire scars on his wrists doesn't he? That's not going to look good." Gabriel scrunches her nose up.

           "I'll take care of this." Michael vanishes.

           "Why would you tell him this?" Raphael exclaims and follows his sibling back to souix falls at least so he can have a freindly witness when things go to hell.

           "What CPS reports in Sunvale?" Sam asks confused.

           "Oh,right. When Michael was human he signed up for the fireman auction where they auction off firemen. Luci objected to that strenuously and attacked him with a spade turning an argument into an outright brawl that ended with Michael body slamming him, bam, just flat on his back. They both were kind of bruised and bloody, Luci was outright unconscious and Denny's mom was there, freaked out and called the police when she saw the after math. Well, it was Luci's fake birthday too and she was there when the stripper I ordered arrived, so..." She shrugs. "And then when he was shot his wrists were still healing from the binding. I didn't think to have them check CPS for any reports. I'm going to go do that right now."

           "Jesus." Dean laughs. "Poor Michael. Man he never ends up looking good when it comes to Luci does he? And if they're too obviously lovers he'll look like some abusive incestuous pedophile or something."

           "The age of consent in South Dakota is sixteen. But yes, he does kind of end up looking bad, doesn't he?" Gabriel grins. "Alright. I think I'm back." She snaps her fingers to get a snickers and takes a bite. "Be back soon boys. Pray if you need anything." She snaps herself away.

 

          Raphael waits outside the police station. Michael insisted on talking with Lucifer and the social worker alone, which mean arguing with their brother, of course. Honestly, Michael should just let him go to jail. he's taking some responsibility for once let him take it. If not, and it's just another empty gesture he doesn't expect anyone to take him up on, still let him go to jail. Let people who aren't so innocent deal with him for once. Raphael immediately regrets the sentiment. Petty crimes don't warrant being incarcerated with the devil. Besides he'd probably end up taking over the cell block by the second day.

          Why doesn't Alex want to be with him? Isn't there any way he can fix it? Fix himself? Make it right? Maybe not. After everything he's done, all the horrible decisions, that she even gave him a chance, thought she could love him, tried to love him is a miracle in and of itself. But still there has to be something he can do to make himself someone she can love, someone she could be with. Isn't there? He changed for the worse, surely he can change for the better, too.

          He takes out his phone to text her. Hello? No... Hi? too informal. How are you? kind of abrupt. Is everything alright? Too worried. How's Courage? does he really want to ask her about their dog before talking about her? What message would that send? No, nothing sounds right. I need you. Way too needy. I miss you. Still too needy though... shit. He desperately tries to go back and un send the text but it doesn't work. Why isn't there some feature that keeps you from sending texts to your ex girlfriend without at least triple asking you if you're sure? His first impulse is to throw the phone across the park but that's absurd and he might hit someone. He can just shut it off.

         'I miss you too." comes the reply before he can turn the phone off. The world just grinds to a halt as he looks at it. What can he say? He can't think of anything. Everything is just wrong why not just rip off the band aid. He's going to humiliate himself anyways.

         'What did I do wrong?  Can't I do anything to fix it?'  It takes forever and a million regrets before he gets her reply.

         'you didn't do anything wrong. You're just not human, Raphael. You can't give me human things. I can't fall asleep in your arms and wake up in them. We can't steal food off each others plates and go wine tasting. I can't have your baby.'

         'I can be human for you. You know I can.'

         'You have responsibilities. To Michael. I can't come between that.'

         'Not all the time. If you need those things I can give them to you. I don't care. I love you. If you want me to be human for you I will. For every second I can, I'll be human with you. I don't care what Michael thinks.' Which would probably be a lie in any other moment but he's given almost everything to his big sister for so long. She doesn't even really need him anymore.

         'Can you be human with me tonight?' Raphael looks at the text. Can he? They won't be going after Leviathan again for a while. Not until they figure out a better plan of attack.

          'Just tonight?'

         'Tonight, tomorrow, the rest of your life,' she replies, 'Just kidding. I know you have things to do. How long do you think it would take to impregnate me?' Does she mean that? He's afraid to ask. If she doesn't, it'll be fairly clear when he's there but if she does... maybe that's why she wants him to be human right now.

         'I will be there tonight.' he replies then sends an urgent text to Michael.

         "What's wrong?" Michael's out in front of the police station with him in an instant.

         "I need you to take my grace."

         "What?"

         "Alex wants me back, but I have to be human for a bit. We're not going after the leviathan for a little while so it shouldn't be a problem."

         "Why do you need to remove your grace for that? And what about planning our attack? You always help me with my battle plans." Michael protests. Raphael just looks at him pleadingly. "Why do you need to be human to be with her? you don't want to be human. You like who and what you are. She knows that."

         "Michael, please. You're the only one I can really trust to keep it safe for me."

         "I still don't understand why..."

          "We're going to be making a baby that's why." Raphael confesses. Michael just looks at him, completely stunned. "You know she wouldn't survive having a nephilim."

           "You... don't think that's kind of fast?" The angel who suggested proposing to her says.

           "Not if she doesn't."

          "Raph... This is a mistake. You need to slow down and think about this. You just... I really don't think this is the right time to make that kind of decision."

          "You're right, After all your relationship advice has worked out so well for me in the past." The comment makes Michael's cheeks turn red. "I'm sorry. Look, I supported you when you wanted to be human. I supported and accepted it when you wanted to be with Lucifer,or at least tried. I didn't agree with any of it but it's what you wanted and thought you needed. Well, I need this. More than I've ever needed anything before. Please just... have my back in this, Miqa. Please?" Michael just gives an exhasperated sigh and nods, a reaction he usually has when giving in to Lucifer or Gabriel

         "Alright. But... can't you wait until the leviathan are taken care of? When it's a little safer for them?" Michael asks.

         "That day may never come, Michael. If people waited until things were perfect to have children, the human race would go extinct." Michael can't exactly argue with that.

 

         That was almost too easy. How in love with this woman is he? It's ridiculous. Jane accesses more of Alex's memories. Oh, nice. More orgasms when he's an angel but more intense ones when he isn't. Maybe she'll play with him a little first. No, better to just eat him straight off. Or will they just be able to bring him back? If he could be persuaded to help her. No, he'd never abandon Michael, would he? Could he? Oh, if he could... but he'd probably taste just a wonderful as Alex did, too. It's so hard to decide.

          Jane paces back and forth, waiting. What does he see in this girl? It must be physical. There's a knock on the door. She  looks through the peep hole and smiles. Raphael is there, with roses. What a sap. She opens the door for him and lets him in.

          "I'm so sorry." she apologizes to him like the weak fool Alex is, but he kisses her before she can continue. Floods of his knowledge overwhelm her briefly confusing and stunning her. But most of all, a fierce, passionate love as great as the girl has for him hits her. Maybe she won't eat him just yet.

 

          "Nothing's ever good enough for you, is it?" Luci says as Michael returns to the warehouse, they brought her after smoothing things over at the police station.

          "If you're referring to your half hearted over dramatic nonsense, no it's not." He sets down the cylanders of liquid nitrogen. "You know what we're doing. How important it is, how much we need you in this. Why would you try to get yourself thrown in jail? Now, of all times."

          "I don't know. I was trying to make amends, take some responsibility. I can't do this. I shouldn't do that. I'm working in such a limited damn framework here. I don't know what I'm doing, just that everything I do is somehow still wrong and always will be." He kicks the freezer wall with the sole of his foot, dislodging some of the ice.

          "That nonsense and you know it."

          "Is it?" Luci gives a bitter laugh. "It's never good enough. Any of it. Even trying to look out for Alex..."

          "To try and get back into Raphael's good graces." Michael crosses his arms. "It's always about you, and what you want and what you can get, how you feel, what you think."

           "I'm trying to be good and change for you, Michael, and for Gabriel and Raphael and our father. So what if I'm trying to do things for your sakes? Or because I think you'd like them. Why is that a bad thing? I'm trying, Michael."

           "So what?" He snaps. "You're trying. So am I. So is everybody. But we don't expect to be praised for not constantly doing terrible things to people."

           "I'm not asking to be praised. I just want my efforts to be acknowledged, that's all." Luci's fully aware of how sulky he sounds but he can't seem to help it.

           "How? How do you want to be acknowledge? Isn't the fact that you're free enough of an acknowledgement? Isn't Raphael trusting you to be in the same building as the woman he loves acknowledgement enough? Do you remember everything you've done? How could you possibly exist as you are right now and think we all don't know and acknowledge that you're trying to change and improve. But what we're not going to do is coddle you and tell you it's okay when it isn't, or go easy on you when you do something so very wrong. Especially when you don't even understand what you did."

           "I understand, Michael. But if it's not about the people I love, I really find it hard to care." His response gets a predictably annoyed and incredulous look from Michael.

           "You barely even care about us."

           "Oh, fuck you, Michael."

           "No, fuck you, Lucifer." The name makes Luci cringe more than Helel ever did.

           "Well, at least you're not pretending you aren't ashamed of me anymore." He turns away.

           "I'm not ashamed of you. I'm angry, because I love you and I can't stand seeing you do things like this, sliding back into that horrible distructive person you used to be. You're better than that, you always were, and you know it."

            "No, you're better than that, miss who-is-like-god. I'm a flawed empty broken mess and I always have been. The mark didn't change me, it just make me more of what I already was."

            "Some of what you already were." Michael says it like that's supposed to be comforting. "Other parts it drowned out almost all together. What do you want me to say? That you weren't always vain and a little full of yourself? You were so beautiful how could you not think of yourself as we did? You always wanted to be the center of attention. You always wanted to be loved and praised above all else. You rarely had patience for beings not as quick or strong as you. You always thought you were right all the time about everything and you always could be mean and hurtful when you felt hurt or slighted."

            "Sweet talker." Luci mutters as Michael walks over to face him.

           "But you were kind, too. And you could be so gentle and warm and nurturing. You always knew what to say to cheer me up , to make us feel better, to explain things so we'd understand. You were brilliant, insightful, always striving for great heights, willing to sacrifice everything you were for us. And you cared about everyone. Do you even remember the first fledgeling we lost? You were so upset. You cried more than Raphael, though not in front of anyone. And when you couldn't keep the rest from falling, you just started drawing back and staying away even more than you had to. You were still so soft then." Michael reaches out to touch his brother's cheek. The warmth is so inviting, Luci leans against it, despite himself.

           "I was stupid and sentimental."

           "All that was part of you ,too. And it still is, I know it still is and I see it sometimes and it just makes it hurt so much worse when you give into the bad. I'm not ashamed of you. I just... I don't know what to do. That's not exactly enough for you either, though, is it?"

           "Michael, I'm sorry, I mean it. I just keep hurting you and I don't want to."

           "I don't want to hurt you either." And he doesn't, though if he wasn't so very warm, the temperature would be much more of an issue than it is. It's interesting how make up sex is almost better than angry sex. Almost.

 


	22. The Perfect Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane blows her cover  
> Luci to the rescue

           Luci smiles at the frozen body and breaks off a finger tip. It's like shattering glass. And honestly it's fascinating how where a human has blood in it's veins there's just black goo, except for the smaller capilaries near the skin just enough red blood to keep the skin the right color. And the answer to how much borax it takes to dissolve a leviathan infested body is one large tote, half full of fifty fifty water borax solution. And the smaller you make the pieces the quicker it is. It actually looks a lot like those little volcanos of baking soda and vinegar except kind of grey and goopy.

  
         And of course that grey glop sinks to the bottom and neutralizes the borax but that's fine as it makes it easier to add the cement mix and pour it into a mold of a weeping angel statue. Michael's mold's are absolutely perfect. Maybe Michael's fussing over how they're just imitations of someone else's work but that's kind of what he wanted. It'll sell better that way. And encasing it in a thin layer of glass just in case was inspired. The oddest thing was that the liver and kidneys were completely unaltered and untouched and isolated from the rest of the body. He'll have to examine the next ones a bit more thouroughly.

  
          “Mitcha,” He turns back to Michael. “I'm getting cold.” Michael smiles and comes closer, putting his arms around him to warm him up. “I think we should try a live one next. See how fast it freezes them.”

           “You mean, before they break free and attack you?” He asks dryly.

          “Ideally, yes.” Luci grins. “We need to salvage the liver and kidney this time, though. There's something going on with that. It's probably significant.”

           “Alright. Are you hungry?”

           “I could eat. Just not pork.” he wrinkles his nose.

            “There's this organic deli they only use chickens they raise themselves. And duck as well. Good too I think. I can't believe you accused Alex of feeding you human flesh.”

           “I was really sick.” He protests. “And I thought it was.”

            “And yet, you still ate the whole thing.”

          “Before I caught the smell! I don't know. That sounds good. I'll have chicken I guess. Are geese as big assholes as chickens? I am getting a little tired of chicken.”

        “I haven't heard. But goats can be real jerks and there's a jamaican place nearby you might like.” Michael suggests. Luci laughs and shakes his head.    

           “Why don't we just get a pizza?”  

           “That place in San Fransisco?”

            “Of course.”

           “You want to wear that damn shirt again, don't you?” Michael sighs and takes him back to his apartment so he can change. Michael breifly debates going to over to check on Alex and Raphael but it's not likely they'll appreciate the interruption. “Did I tell you Alex and Raphael made up? They're making a baby now.”

           “Please, he wouldn't be that careless. After Gabriel's horrible pregnancy?” Luci rolls his eyes.

           “I assumed that's why he had me take his grace.”

           “What?” Luci comes to the bedroom doorway, shirt in hand.

           “ My thoughts exactly, but he was pretty insistant. I kind of think they should get married first but he made it clear he did not want anymore romantic advice from me.” Michael sounds as annoyed as he looks, despite the fact that Raphael's comment was completely deserved, or maybe because of that.

         “I don't believe that. She doesn't want a baby. She's no where near ready for that. I don't know, I don't like this.” Luci frowns. Michael just gives him a patronizing look.

          “Well, when people are in love, they usually want things like that. Babies, a wedding, setting the sky ablaze with your lover's name?” Michael the romantic is here.

          “You're an idiot at relationships, but you do have the grand romantic gestures down pat.” Luci smiles at him and slips the satan belly shirt on. “Maybe you should be male.”

           “You only say that because you're currently female.”

          “Maybe. We could try to switch. Let me pin you against the wall for a change.” He winks at Michael. “Or even just put me in Nick again. Nick is cute as hell. And I already know how to use him. I mean, sure there are strap ons but that doesn't exactly do me much good, does it?”

          “Brat.” Michael tweaks his nose. “I wonder how courage will handle having a baby brother or sister.”      

           “They'd have to find him first.” Lucy comments. Michael laughs, thinking he's making a joke about the dog running and hiding when the baby arrives. “I'm starting to think he's found another family.”

              “Wait, what do you mean found another family?”

              “Courage ran off before the snow storm. We've been looking, putting up posters, calling shelters. But so far nothing.” Luci sighs. He'd been so sure he'd be easy to find, or even make his way back. Now he wishes he'd told Raphael or Michael right away.

          “Why didn't you tell me? When did... Alright. Look. I'm going to drop you off at the restaurant and go look for him. No wonder she hasn't been acting herself; that dog is their baby.” Michael scolds Luci, of course running off to the rescue. “I can't believe Alex didn't tell me. Maybe she was afraid to tell Raphael but she could have called me.” Michael actually sounds a little hurt.

          “Michael, you and Raph are almost as much a package deal as Sam and Dean. He's your favorite song. If you knew his 'baby' was missing, you'd never have kept it from him. Would you?” Luci demands, his look defying Michael to try to claim different.

           “Well, no I suppose I wouldn't. I'm still going to go look for him, though. The poor little thing must be lost and scared out of his mind.”

          “Alright. Well, just go then and don't worry about San Fransisco. I'll order in.” Luci pats his arm.

          “Are you sure?” Michael places his hand over Luci's.

          “Yeah, it's no fun being there without you. You're half the joke.” He grins. This earns him another kiss from Michael before he takes off.

 

          It's funny how memories all pale to the real thing. Jane gives a satisfied smile and rinses off in the shower. Not that the body does any of the disgusting things with her in it to warrant more than a rinse, but the body wash does make her smell right and he would notice things like that. It's a good thing she had that sob story about Courage running away to distract him with, when he started noticing little things and questioning her about her health and eating habits. She really should just eat him already, but he's so enjoyable. And what if the base knowledge she got from him isn't enough.

            Each person is so individual in their dietary needs, and it's almost impossible to tell now a days just by looking, especially with such genetic diversity. It's downright annoying. If she ate him and found she needed him later, she'd have wasted a valuable resource just because he looked so delicious. She's better than that. She has self control.

       “Hey.” there's a banging on the front door. “If you two can take a break from procreating I bought pizza.” It's that damn Lucifer again. At least Raphael has a reasonable view on this particular nusiance.

        “I'll get rid of her.” Jane informs him as she towels off and grabs his dress shirt, buttoning it up as she walks to the door. He's too exhausted to object. Well, maybe he'll get some sleep and she can slip out and get a decent meal. He's a wonderful cook, but it's just not filling. “Can I help you?' She opens the door.

        “Congradulatory pizza for getting your head out of your ass.” Luci hands her one of the boxes. “If you hurt him again, I will violently murder you.”

           “I'm sure you will.” Jane smiles sweetly and slams the door shut with her foot.

            “Are you alright?” she turns to see Raphael frowning at her.

            “I'm fine. She brought us pizza.”

            “You're being kind of rude to him. Not that I mind, but it's not like you.” he tilts his tired head at her and leans on the entry way.

            “Don't you find it at all tiresome?” Jane sighs, putting the pizza down on the island.

            “What?”

            “Being so... observant.” she walks past him to the bedroom, trailing her fingers over his chest as she does so. “Just relax and enjoy yourself, darling.”

            “We should take a minute to talk a little more.” Raphael follows her like the sickly besotted puppy he is, and puts his arms around her when she stops by the bed. “I know you want a baby, but what about college. That's always been so important to you.”

             “Don't worry about that anymore. And isn't it a little too late to worry about wether or not I should get pregnant, we've been trying for days.” he actually looks a little guilty at her words.

             “No. You won't be ovulating for another week.” He keeps track of that? That's interesting. “Maybe I should have noticed earlier, but you just... you don't seem like yourself. Why don't you tell me what's wrong. What ever it is, we can take care of it together.” He takes her hand and kisses it. Unbelievable, her best Alex so far and it's still not good enough. Jane gives out an exhasperated sigh and groan. “I mean it Alex. Please. Don't be afraid to tell me anything.”

           “You know what? I'm done.” Jane points to the bed. “Sit down.” He does so, looking a little nervous at the change in tone. “What exactly is so great about a wishy washy, anxiety ridden, apologetic, simpering little worm like Alex Jones?” She pushes him back, surprising the startled graceless angel with her strength. “She doesn't deserve you. She doesn't appreciate you. Not like she should or for what she should. She doesn't understand how great, how useful you are.” Jane straddles his waist, pinning him down by the wrists when he tries to rise.

           “What?” And the idiot is afraid for Alex and not himself, she can feel it. What is wrong with these creatures?

            “Alex Jones is weak, flawed, an emotional coward, ruled by her own fear and aware of how worthless she truly is. You don't need that mess. And you don't want it. You know you don't.” She speaks soothingly. “I can give you an Alex who's everything you deserve. Powerful, confident, a queen who knows what you're worth. Do you know what you're worth? What you could do?

            “We could perfect humanity, Raphael. You and me. Perfect bodies, saving the occaisional perfect mind for all eternity. All this fighitng and squabbling, hunters, monsters, leviathan. It's so unneccessary and wasteful. There's more than enough for everybody. Most of Eve's children only want pieces of humans. Blood, the heart, the pituitary gland, brain juices. We can all share. You and your brothers can have their souls. We don't need them.” she offers generously. “And really, they'd live so much better and happier and healthier than they did in the wild. Not as long maybe, but we're talking quality of life here. None of this mass production factory farming my greedy little son espoused.

             “Think about it. Happy healthy protected childhoods, free of disease, disability. Safe and secure fed only the best food and given the best education and learning and training and no one has to be food. Not at all. The very best of them, on their twenty fifth birthdays will be turned into one of the elite, the movers and shakers who take care of all those things that need to be done for everyone. Vampire, werewolf, it doesn't matter which, my little Eve can make them what they want to be. It would be twenty five years of guaranteed happiness, however they found it.

            “I know you understand what I'm offering. You wanted to bring peace to the world once, and end all suffering. I want that too. Your brother, that arrogant little shit, I don't care about him, not like Alex does or every other idiot he's charmed. You are so much more special to me than any of them. I can kill him if you like. Right now. I'll eat him. For you.” She bends to kiss the nose on his adorable stunned face. “Though I know he's going to taste just horrible. All stringy and bland, all skin and bones. But I will.”

          “Where's Alex?” that idiot asks completely unable to see the big picture.

              “Really? I offer you the world and you still ask about that pathetic creature?” She exclaims, sitting up straight. He just stares at her in sullen silence. “Okay, fine. I know when I'm not wanted.” she shrugs, brushing her hair back. “You are going to be absolutely delicious.” She licks her lips and opens her jaws.

 

 

            “Hey, Devil girl.” Someone's banging on her door not seconds after he orders the pizza. That damn hippie whore, Bethany. Doesn't she have anything better to do? “So, I broke in as you suggested, she crosses her arms as he opens the door, a piece of cloth in once hand. “This was all I could find of him, stuck to the inside of the shower curtain.”

            “What?” Luci takes it. There's just a trace of blood around the edges.  
“Yeah, no, all his stuff is gone.” She shakes her head. “I'd have noticed that, if he'd moved out.”

             “You're right. Alright, let's go down and see what's going on.” Luci takes her wallet and heads to the stairwell.

             “The elevator?” Bethany points to it.      

            “Yeah, you go ahead. I'm taking the stairs.” he opens the door and walks down. It's just one flight. There's a flicker of light and a brief clanging. The elevator finally broke it seems.

            “Hold on.” he goes back up and takes the fire axe, prying the doors of the elevator open. When he drops down to open the emergency hatch ti's nailed shut and beyond that there are wards all over the outside of the box making it so no angels at all can get in. “That little shit...” He gapes at it, and smashes the hatch open with the axe. Bethany looks a little freaked out at his entrance. At least what he can see of her in the dark box. “C'mon, you're going down to the basement with the guards for the pantry and stay there.”He lifts her up.

           “This elevator was just renovated.” She looks down at it.

           “I know.”Luci lifts her up to the open door.

            “I'm getting Alex. This is...”  

             “No. Don't.” He grabs her ankle as she starts to walk off to Alex's apartment. “Pretty sure that's not Alex. Just go to the angels, they'll keep you safe. Do you have any borax?”

           “Of course. It's an all natural cleanser like baking soda.”She sounds almost offended.

            “Good. You have anything silk?”  

            “Just the robe...” She shrugs uncomfortably.

             “Alright. Get lost. I've got this.” He prods her to the stair well, closing the elevator door before following her down the stairs. Of course, the pizza would come just as he's finishing braiding the strips of silk weaving a binding spell into them and shoving it in a bucket of liquid borax. But that works. He'll go offer them food. Make sure Raphael is still alive and plan his assault.

              “Hey!” He bangs on the door after a polite rapping seems to go unnoticed or ignored. “If you can stop procreating for a moment, I bought pizza.” And that does it.

              “Can I help you?” An annoyed wet looking, remarkably sexy looking Alex-appearing person opens the door, clad only in Raphael's dress shirt.

             “Congratulatory pizza for getting your head out of your ass.” he hands her a box. He can see Raphael in the hallway looking fine, a bit tired but unharmed. “If you hurt him again. I will violently murder you.” He looks her in the eye but this version of Alex is fearless.

             “I'm sure you will.” She smiles sweetly and not a little condescendingly and kicks the door shut right in his face the little bitch. Alright, time to go save his baby brother again, the twitterpated little idiot.

              A baby? Really? He really believed Alex would want a baby? Not even Michael thought that.Michael. It wouldn't even be his baby. Without his grace it'd just be the baby off the vessel he's in. He's definitely getting an 'I told you so'. A big one. Huge. Maybe Luci can rent a billboard. You idiot, I told you so, from You Know Who. Anonymous so as not to humiliate him too much. Flashing lights maybe. Glow in the dark paint in case of a black out. Actually he knows just the place and can just put the order in now, in case he dies trying to do this. Alright. Bucket of borax and wet rope. Borax filled water gun. Ace. Lockpicks. It's actually fairly easy to pick the lock and unhook the chains. She really should get a slide bolt.

           “Where's Alex?” Luci hears Raphael demand. He sounds a little frightened in that 'I'm not afraid of anything' way he has.

        “Really?” The Alex thing sounds both incredulous and disappointed. “I offer you the world and you still ask about that pathetic creature?” So she knows her. Alex is kind of a sad little thing more often than not. “Okay. Fine. I know when I'm not wanted.” Luci tiptoes forwards as the Alex creature brushes back her hair. She would be on top of him like that. “You are going to be absolutely delicious.” She opens massive jaws. Leviathan. Of course.

        Luci tosses some of the borax on it. Hopefully not getting any in Raphael's eyes. She screamsin pain long enough for Luci to grab the axe and chop off her head. It takes a couple blows unfortunatley, though the brain stem is severed first and that seems to stop her. And that disgusting goo gets just everywhere.

              “Sorry about the mess.” He apologizes as he knows how Raphael is about that and quickly grabs the head as it starts to reach back to the body, tossing it out into the living room. “Are you alright?” Though Raphael is clearly in shock. “Are you injured?” Luci clarifies, kneeling down before him as he just sits on the edge of the bed, staring down at the body. “Raphael.”

         “It's not Alex.”

           “No.” Luci resists the desire to say I told you so right away and without proper fan fare.  

            “I have to find her.” He gets to his feet.

              “Woah, there. Stop. Sit.” Luci takes him by the arms, and sets him back down. “We have to be smart about this. I will take care of this and interrogate it. You go take a shower and eat some pizza. You're not going to want to see this.” Luci pulls out a chair and drags the body up to it, trying to make it sit. It's not very cooperative, of course. Raphael walks over and helps hold it still as Luci ties it to the chair with the silk braids, leaving one end soaking in the bucket to keep it wet. The neast reattatches fairly easily.

          “Ow.” the Alex thing makes a face.

           “Where's Alex?” Raphael demands

            “Visiting relatives.” she snarks. Luci just dips the axe head in the bucket.    

            “Raph. Please leave.”

             “You think I haven't seen your work before?”

            “Not on the woman you love.”

            “That is not the woman I love.” The first sensible thing he's said yet, but still filled with so much emotion, Luci can't even pretend that Raph could handle this right now.

             “No, but still, it'll give you nightmares anyways. Trust me. I know night mares.” Luci puts a hand on his shoulder. “I promise, Raphael. I will find out what happened to Alex.” And miracle of miracles, he actually listens for once, and goes into the shower.

             “You know you're the most pathetic of all of them.” Alex thing feels the need to taunt the one currently holding an axe. “Desperate, needy. Oh love me, love me. Nobody loves me enough. Wahh.”

            “Whatever you say.” Luci lifts the axe back up and chops off her left leg at the knee. This is not a very sharp axe.

            “Do you think Raphael will love you for this?”

            “Pretty sure the stubborn brat will find a way to blame me for this and hate me forever.” Luci tosses the leg to the far side of the room. “But he's my baby brother and you fucked with him and now you have to deal with me.”

           “Oooh, I'm shaking.”

            “Where's Alex?” 

             “With her mother.” The other leg comes off.

                “Where's Alex?”

                “I ate her. Oh that little brother of yours knows how to raise an absolutely equisite human. Oh my god, It was just... sublime. She was delicious, wasn't she?” She smirks at him.

              “Alex stew?” He sighs. Of course, it was. He fucking TOLD HIM SO. She just smiles. “Yeah, she kind was actually.” The axe chops into it's left arm next. “There any left?”

           “No of course not. I wasn't going to leave anything behind you could use to ressurrect her with. It was hard enough figuring out how to get her out of the way without alerting you. And she's gone gone gone. Do you really care? You wanted Raphael to get with Gabriel, not some little human thing.”

            “Okay, chatty Cathy. Let's hear you scream a bit more. And then we'll talk about what I want to talk about.”


	23. Stubborn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire, Luci, and Raphael go after Alex in purgatory  
> Alex finally meets up with the Rebels

    “You ate the damn dog?” Raphael winces at his brother's exclamation, and not just at the fact that he sounds more upset at that, then at what happened to Alex. “Oh, you little shit!” The thunk of the Axe isn't accompanied by screams this time. He finally exits the bedroom, a black plastic bag in hand that he shoves into the freezer. “So, we have good news and bad news.” Luci turns to his brother who utterly fails to anticipate the possibility any actual good news what so ever. “The good news is firstly that the enchanted silk rope soaked in borax holds them incredibly well.  Also, Courage didn't suffer. He was eaten in one bite.”  
    “Alex?”  
    “Well, she didn't suffer for long. Jane, she said to call her Jane, cut her leg off to munch on though. Use the last bits to make that lovely little stew she fed me while I was sick.” Raphael appreciates the fact that his brother does not actually say, 'I told you so' though his eyes are screaming it.   
    “And the bad news?”   
    “She sent Alex to purgatory. She got her hands on some vampire blood and turned her after removing the leg and before eating the rest of her.” Luci says as gently as he can.  
    “She's in purgatory.” Raphael looks as if he's about to faint or cry.  
    “We'll get her back.”  
    “How? The ritual doesn't let you pick and choose. And even if it did, there's nothing left here to bring back to.” The tears start to come now, so Luci quickly removes his goopy shirt and pants and hugs his devastated baby brother. He's so upset, he's actually hugging him back, too, so Luci knows Raphael is just completely broken by this news.  
    “We will get her back, Raphael.” Luci reassures him. “We will. I promise.”  
    “This is all my fault.”  
    “Don't be stupid. How the hell is any of this your fault?” Probably not the most comforting way to say it, but seriously, where the hell is that boys head right now?  
    “If I hadn't proposed... If we were still together...I...”  
    “Oh for dad's sake, Raphael.” Luci rests his head against the little idiots. “That's hardly direct cause and effect. If you went to grasp at straws, why stop there? It's my fault for dumping the tracking spell. It's Yuri's fault for not listening to Michael and getting bitten and letting them know about her in the first place. It's the Winchester's fault for not doing anything about those damn leviathan for seven years. It's Castiel's fault for swallowing them and letting them out in the first place.”  
    “It's my fault for trying to restart the apocalypse and waging a civil war that precipitated that move of his in the first place.” Raphael adds dryly.  
    “Hell go even further back, it's dad's fault for even making those damn things in the first place.” Raphael pulls away and gives him a reproachful look. “Look, I'm just saying it's not your fault so don't wallow in a guilt trip when you can pretty much blame anyone else, just as strongly. Hell, blame me, I was suppose to be taking care of your human for you an dI let her and your dog get eaten by a leviathan and didn't even notice.”  
    “You were not suppose to be taking care of her, you were supposed to leave her alone. I can't blame you for this. You told me there was something wrong... you...” He looks as if he's going to start crying again, so Luci takes his face in his hands and forces him to look at him.  
    “Not the time for this, Raph.” Lucifer smothers the urge to say, I told you so again. “compose yourself. I'm summoning Billy, and you don't need your ex to see you all weepy over another woman.”  
    “Billy?”  
    “Azrael. She goes by Billy now. Too many smurf jokes.” Luci goes to the cupboard.  
    “I know who she is.  I was asking why. And she's not my ex.”  
    “Uhuh, sure. If we're going to get Alex back we have to get into purgatory and reapers can get us there. She's done some major house cleaning and I'm the devil, so no one lower down is going to be doing us any favors. So when your darling Sariel comes, try turning on the charm.”  
    “She's not my darling.”  
    “We were not romantically involved in any way!”  
    “Oh please, you accidentally blew up yellowstone when you had that falling out. The last time you set off a volcano by sheer unconscious emotion alone, it was when they killed Meli. Maybe we didn't have the word romance back then, but whatever it was you two had it and everybody knows it.” Luci doesn't even glance back at him.  
    “Did you seriously want me to be romantically involved with Gabriel?” Raphael asks suddenly, looking over at his brother.  
    “You hear that, huh?” Luci actually sounds slightly embarrassed. “Yes, I did. You both deserve better than those little mortal things you're so infatuated with and Michael and I are taken, so who else could possibly be good enough for either of you except each other. But don't worry, dad put his foot down about my trying to... encourage that.”  
    “The thought of trying to get me in that kind of relationship with my little sister is the dumbest most disturbing thing I have ever heard of and yes I'm including that creepy fan of your.”  
    “Why do you always have to pick on my fan? I don't even have it anymore. I took it apart. For you. All for you.” Luci reminds him pointedly.  
    “You made a fan of our lost feathers and hung it on your wall. That's like making a necklace out of our baby teeth and wearing it. It was creepy and strange and disturbing and thank you so much for selling my damn feathers you asshole! Do you have any idea how hard it was to get them back? And half of them were already used up in a damn spell!”  
    “What? I thought Cas and Dean would have confiscated them from the shop.”  
    “No.” Raphael scowls at him. “They never found that damn shop until after they realized the feathers were missing and you hadn't robbed a bank to cover paying cash for all those hotels.”  
    “Those stupid assholes.”  
    “They're not the ones who sold them Helel!” The fact his baby brother is yelling at him doesn't erase that he called Luci Helel again. Luci tries to pretend he didn't notice and tosses a few things in a bowl before lighting it on fire. Nothing happens. “Huh, she must be busy.”  
    “I am the angel of death; I'm always busy. But also curious.” Billy steps out of the veil. “where are the rest of your clothes?”  
    “We got leviathan all over them.” Luci shrugs. “Hello, Billy.”  
    “What do you want? Are you two together now? I always figured Lucifer for a fickle thing, but you Raph?” She looks at him, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes indicates she's just teasing.  
    “That's not funny.” Raphael glowers at her. “A leviathan sent my... Alex to purgatory.”  
    “I know. Don't worry. I made sure to set her down some place relatively safe.”  
    “You knew?” Raphael's tone is deadly but the angel ignores it.  
    “I am the angel of death, Raphael. I would never let anything happen to the soul of someone you care about.” She says gently. Raphael decides not to bring up Meli or the fact that she knew Alex had died and didn't bother to tell him.  
    “She belongs in heaven.” He settles on bringing up the important thing.  
    “Vampires belong in purgatory just like all the other monsters, even half turned ones. If you want her soul elsewhere, you'll have to arrange it yourself. But my reapers and I take souls where they belong not where we wish they belonged.”  
    “Would you take us there?” Luci asks and is promptly ignored.  
    “Please. I have to save her.”  
    “Very well. Get dressed, grab a weapon an I will bring you.”  
    “Wait. Let Raphael get his grace back.” Luci's demand is acknowledged this time.  
    “I'm not letting a fully powered archangel into purgatory. You will devestate the population and we have our hands full dealing with all the demons your sister sent to the abyss as it is. If you go in, you go human.”  
    “I'll go alone.” Luci says firmly, making it clear to Raphael that he'll brook no dissent. His little brother, as always is unmoved. “Stay here and try to find a way to get her back a fully human body.”  
    “I can't...”  
    “You can. You know you can. Do you remember Nick? How his body just popped out of nothing?” Luci reminds him.  
'    “You did that, not me.”  
    “No, your grace inside me did that, which means you can do that. As if you haven't memorized every inch of her body as surely as if you wore it.” Luci reminds him. “Billy, talk some sense into him while I go change, will you?” He waves to Raphael as he walk out of the apartment and across the hall.  
    “So,” Billy looks at him, leaning against the counter. “A human girl.”  Raphael nods a bit bashfully. “The heart wants what it wants I suppose. What's Lucifer's angle in this? Going to purgatory. He can't really just want to get your lover back.”She makes a face.  
    “He's been trying to take care of her when I wasn't around to.” Raphael admits. “It was a self assigned task, though I hated him and didn't trust him or want him to. I think it's a point of pride now. And, honestly, until the leviathan, he was doing fairly well.” Raphael crosses his arms. “Not that I wanted to admit it. How have you been, Sariel?”  
    “Alright. Your brat of a sister killed me breifly few years ago, but I got better.”  
    “Michael killed you?”  
    “No, the other one.” She says darkly, both pissed off and embarrassed about that.”While human. I'd love to drop her in purgatory, but they don't deserve that. And I have to admit it it turned out for the best, I got my boss back. We got you back. That psychotic little whelp would bring Lucifer back as well but Dean has really enjoyed watching him deal with being human, so it's not that bad.” She grins at the thought. “It's dangerous, Raph. You'll probably get sent back to the abyss both of you and I don't know if you could even get her back out, or yourselves. There's a portal for live humans but neither of you is exactly human, not really. You're just graceless fallen angels.”  
    “Well, I'm not going to send him in alone. Two of us have a better chance than one. Even if that one is that violent murder machine.” Raphael shakes his head. Billy laughs at the description.  
    “I see you like him as much as you always have.” She shakes her head.  
    “Alex,” The door pushes open, “Did you know your elevator's broken?” Claire lugs a bag inside with Krissy. “We had to drag this stupid thing up...” She pauses and looks at the two angels at the island. “Hey...”she greets them suspiciously.  
    “Hello, Claire.” Billy nods to her. “What's in the bag?”  
    “Oh, just... things.” She shrugs. “What are you doing here? Where's Alex?” The intense instant distress in Raphael's face alarms her to no small degree. “Alex?” Claire drops her end and rushes over to the bedroom before Raphael can stop her. Billy doesn't even try.  
    “Oh my god! What... what is this?” She cries at the carnage.  
    “Alex got eaten and replace by a leviathan.”  Raphael forces himself to inform her as Billy doesn't seem the least inclined.  
    “What?” Claire comes back to the main room.   
    “Oh, crap, what are you two doing here?” Luci leaves his apartment with a backpack full of borox, a super soaker, his guitar case and the fire axe.  
    “We were having no luck up in the city so we decided to come do some post-breakup behavioral therapy with Alex.” Krissy explains. Luci nudges the bag enough to let part of the opening move to reveal dozens of cheap ceramic angel and devil statues and a small hammer. “She got eaten?”'      
    “Yup. I'm going to purgatory to get her back, so don't worry.”  
    “I hope there's a tommy gun in that guitar case.” Raphael comments wryly. Luci ignores him and hands him one of Michael's shirts.  
    “Have enough supplies?”  
    “You are not going to purgatory without us.” Claire snaps finally recovering herself enough to speak again. “How will you get out with out a human to open the portal back, huh?”  
    “We are?” Krissy looks up at her. Claire looks at her right back. “I love Alex, but I've really kind of had my fill of after lives.” She protests.  
    “And you two need to stay and tell our siblings what's going on and search for a scrap of Alex we can use to ressurrect her. Blood, hair, wisdom teeth, whatever.”  
    “I don't fucking think so!” Claire exclaims.  
    “You'd better listen to your grandfather little girl. I'm serious about this. Purgatory is far too dangerous. Your father's would never forgive me if anything happened to you.” Luci scolds her.  
    “Pretty sure they'd never forgive you for what you've already done to Sam.” Claire retorts. “And they're not my fathers. And what the hell are you talking about 'my grandfather'?”  
    “Alright, Billy. Drop me off?”  
    “If you don't send at least me with them, Sar, I am never subbing for you again. And neither will Harahel.” Claire threatens.  
    “Enough!” Billy raises her voice before Krissy can protests Claire dragging her angel into this. “You want to be tossed into purgatory, Claire? Fine, you little brat. Raphael, are you sure you want to do this? You know your big sister is going to have a few things to say to me about this and I am really in no mood unless you are a hundred percent determined to do this.”  
    “I'm certain.”  
    “No, Raphael, you're not..” Luci starts but stops as he fins himself in the mile of a large glade, with Claire and Raphael. “Oh, that little bitch.”  
      
    “Oh... fuck...” Krissy runs her fingers back through her hair as everyone disappears including Billy. They want her to tell Michael that Azrael took Lucifer and Raphael to purgatory because Alex was eaten by Leviathan? Crap! Crap crap crap. She takes out her phone and calls Dean before realizing she'd have to tell him that Claire went too. She hands up right before he answers. “Crap, crap, crap!” Krissy tries to think of who can tell them who isn't her. Castiel? No same problem about Claire. Bree? Noooo. Harahel? Oh god no she couldn't do that to the poor little thing. Especially as they'd likely be sharing a body at the time. Sam? Yes. Sam that's it!  
    “Hello?” Sam answers the phone. She can hear Shelly babbling in the background.  
    “Sam? This is Krissy. There's kind of an emergency and I'm a little scared to be the one to tell Michael, Dean, Cas or Bree about this gigantic clusterfuck.”   
    “What happened?”  
    “Alex got eaten by a leviathan and sent to purgatory somehow and Azrael just took Lucifer, Claire and Raphael to go get her back. And um, there's a decapitated leviathan in the bedroom and I don't know where it's head is. Kind of afraid to just leave it.”  
    “Get rid of the wards in Alex's apartment. Someone will be there shortly.” He says gently.  
    “Thanks.” Krissy hands up and starts to strike through all the wards. “Fuck.”  
  
  
    Alex holds her arm against the socket, waiting for it to reattatch. And and days of wandering, fighting, getting lost. She's never going to reach the quarry. Why is this happening? She was turned just moments before she was killed and she's sent to purgatory? How is that fair? How is that deserved or just in any way? She's done nothing but try to be a good person, to make up for what she'd done. Was it not enough? She was sorry, truly sorry for it all. Is forgiveness just a lie? What did she do wrong? Being turned wasn't her fault, it wasn't her choice, at all.  
    And now she's just stuck here, in this nightmare for all of eternity. She never got to tell Raphael she was sorry. That she was just stupid, scared and insecure and she doesn't even know why but she was wrong and she loves him and didn't want a break, not really. If he wanted to be married, if he needed that, she could do that. She could. It would be hard but he's worth it and she should have thought of that before shoving him away.   
     She starts to cry, though she knows better. The sound will draw people, an if they're not all bounty hunters so far, then they were definitely willing to try their hands at it. There's a the cracking of sticks being stepped on and she tries to quiet herself, maybe hide up a tree or something, but she still has to hold her arm in place.  
    “I've killed about two dozen vampires, ghouls, werewolves, and a rougarou and still have their heads, so I'd reconsider this, if I were you.” She calls out to  whoever it is. She won't be believed of course, not with the tremor in her voice but who knows. “Whatever bounty you think you'd be getting...”  
    “Woah, cherie.”a vampire steps out from the thicket, hands raised. He has a scruffy beard and a kind of cute newsie type hat. “We're not bounty hunters.” He walks slowly forwards. Alex lets her arm fall and picks up the clunky stone axe she stole. He looks beside her where a chain of twenty heads with the hair braided together is, with a couple more beside it.”You weren't bluffing.” he whistles.  
    “Who are you and what do you want?” She demands.  
    “We heard there was a half-turned coming out way, being hunted. Thought you might need help. Guess you didn't need as much as we thought.” he waves a bunch of others forwards. There are easily a dozen various beings. “Would you like me to help you get that arm back in place?” He offers gently. Alex sighs and puts the axe down. What's the point? She's surrounded, one armed. If they want to get her they'll get here. “and what's your name, mon ami?”  
    “Alex.” She watches as he takes out some bandages and binds her arm back in place, even making a little sling for it with her sleeve.  
    “I'm Benny, these are my... easy there.” he chuckles as she throws her arm around his neck, starting to cry from sheer relief. “Take it you heard of me.” he pats her back.  
     “Yes, Dean told me all about you.” she sniffs, making herself let go, a bit embarrassed.  
    “You know Dean?” He looks surprised.  
    “Yeah, um, some rusalka told me you're part of a rebellion against Eve and the Levi's?”  
    “Ha!” he laughs. “No. No rebellion. Just those of us who don't want to do nothing but fight kill and die for all of eternity. They leave us alone, we leave them alone.” Benny shakes his head. “They're too busy fighting each other anyway.”  
    “What about when they're done fighting each other? What then?”  
    “Well, I guess we'll see. But at least our death is a little more pleasant now. Not as pure as I thought it was, but still, no thirst, no hunger. We're not controlled by our baser instincts anymore.” He explains. “It can be freeing. There's art, music, stories, games. We don't need to eat or sleep, we don't get sick. It's not paradise, but it can be better than what we made of it so far.”  
    “Sounds kind of fun actually.” Alex confesses and lets him lead her through the forest. “what about the animals or insects? How do things grow?”  
    “They don't. They just reappear. See that tree?” he points to a tree with a cracking limb ready to fall. “If that branch fell as we were walking by it, we could take it with us and tomorrow, if we came back, the same thing would be there. Anything we don't use we just toss in the quarry an it's gone.”  
    “So it's self cleaning, self repairing.” Alex locks at the branch, which cracks slightly “Must make it hard to mark a trail.”  
    “You don't need to. The trail is always the same, once you're familiar with a path, you'll always recognize it.”  
    “That's kind of cool actually.”  
    “It has its good points. How is Dean? Still alive and kicking?” He asks almost joking. Alex debates how much to bring him up to date.  
    “Yes, he and his brother actually have this little hunting school now. It's almost a small town. Where hunters can leave their children to be kept safe and learn to protect themselves. Vessels for angels can also bring their families there too and angels can learn how to properly share a body with its owner and work with hunters and things.”  
    “Did you attend this school?”  
    “No, I was going to college to become a therapist. To try and help the people deal with ptsd and other trauma they experience as a result of surviving supernatural stuff, though honestly I've ended up counseling more supernatural beings than humans so far.”She admits.  
    “How far did you get?”  
    “I'd be getting my associates next semester. Things just keep happening to interrupt my schooling. First Anansi, then the car accident, then the whole Aztec thing now this. I'm lucky I got this far, honestly.  
    “Well, cherie, you'll have plenty of work to do here.” he pats her back. Which is probably more true than she'd care to think about.


	24. Family ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire, Luci, and Raphael fight in purgatory  
> Alex meets some familiar faces

          "I can't believe you brought your guitar." Claire looks over to Luci who ignores her. "Why would you bring a guitar to purgatory? For that matter why are you here?" She turns to Raphael. "And what were you doing with that leviathan anyway, with her in nothing but your shirt and you in almost nothing at all?" It doesn't seem like an actual question as much as it does like an accusation.

          "I thought it was Alex." He says quietly.

          "You thought it was Alex." Claire says flatly. "You thought a leviathan was Alex. You asked her to marry you and you can't even tell the difference between her and a goddamn monster? That's pathetic."

          "Raph. Hold this, would you?" Luci hands him the guitar and punches Claire right in her bratty fucking mouth. "You listen to me you little bitch. How dare you give him shit for this? He gave up his grace like a lovesick moron because he thought Alex asked him to. And if you have ever had your heart broken you would understand how insanely irrational it makes you, stupid enough to drop everything at the first sign of forgiveness even when you didn't actually do anything wrong, to go to try and make a damn baby because apparently life isn't complicated enough..."

           "Will you shut up!" Raphael snaps, smacking Luci's arm with the guitar case. "I know it was stupid and she has a point."

           "No. she doesn't have a point, she has a vendetta. Because if it was Alex fooled by a leviathan pretending to be you, she'd be concerned and sympathetic about the resulting violation of her being at the very least." Luci keeps her eyes on Claire who's put a hand to her bleeding lip. "Come on, little girl. Gabriel's not here to save you this time."

            "Leave her alone." Raphael grabs the backpack. "She has every right and reason to hate me."

            "I don't need your damn help, Raphael." Claire shoots him a withering look. "And you know you need me in order to get everyone out of here."

            "And you need him to get Alex back at all. Do you understand that?" Luci grabs her by the jacket. "I am sick of your whole attitude. So he killed your father. Boo fucking hoo. Jimmy Novak was collateral damage in a goddamn holy war that he willingly involved himself in. Do you understand that I wanted to wipe out all of humanity and that regardless of everything else, Raphael and Michael were trying to stop me? Do you? And even if he hadn't it wouldn't have mattered because I ended up killing the little brat as well. I wouldn't have even cared, not now or ever, even knowing who Castiel's vessel was. And even though your stupid father abandoned all of you to let Castiel use his vessel and rebel against all of heaven and continued to allow him to do so, Raphael still made sure the mans soul was allowed into heaven, and what's more that he was allowed an afterlife with his wife, who was not in fact his soul mate. He took better care of your father after killing him than Castiel ever did while he was still alive. You want to hate him like a selfish whiny brat who threw a tantrum when she didn't get what she wanted, fine. Go ahead, heaven knows I'm not one to judge on that score. But you will not give my baby brother this relentless disrespectful bullshit around me. I don't care who the fuck loves you, do I make myself clear?" he pulls her closer.

            "Crystal." Claire replies through clenched teeth. Luci lets go of her, prompting Raphael to release his hold on the backpack.

            "Good." Luci takes his guitar back. "And don't use this as a weapon, Raph. Seriously. Here take the super soaker." he hands it to him. "Or would you prefer the axe?"

            "Borax? We don't even know if it will work the same way here as it did on earth."

            "We don't know it doesn't." Luci points out. "Alright. I was going to use the guitar to play music and draw people to question but the argument and the scent of Claire's blood will probably do just as well so be ready."

            "I wondered why you were being so loud." Raphael goes to grab a large, reasonably straight branch from a nearby tree. "Do you have a knife?" He looks it over.

            "I do. Front pocket. I doubt you'll have time to fix that, though." Luci shrugs.

            "I can smooth it out at least a little, though." he insists.

            "Alright, um, sit own by this tree then and take the backpack and guitar, we'll stand guard while you work." Luci heads over to the tree.

            "We will?" Claire crosses her arms.

            "Trust me it's worth it. You haven't seen him with a staff, or you'd understand." Luci puts the pack down and digs through the front pocket, missing the small smile Raphael gives at the praise.

             "You do realize that a staff is a particularly horrible weapon to use against supernatural creatures in their own afterlife, don't you?" Claire points out.

             "We do need to leave at least one of them in good enough condition to be interrogated, Claire. If he's using nonlethan force it frees us up to be as murderously blood thirsty as we want."  Luci takes out a whip.

              "A whip? Are you kidding me?" Claire really seems to want to get into a fight again.

               "I couldn't fit a spear. I didn't have one anyways." He shrugs, wrapping it around his shoulders. "It's no cat of nine tails but it has it's uses." Luci takes out a knife that he clips to his belt opposite the axe and another one better suited to wood carving that he hands to Raphael.

               "Okay. Really, though, why did you bring the guitar?" She can't seem to let that go either. Luci just shrugs.

               "Why do I do anything?"

               "You're an attention grabbing pain in the ass?" Raphael comments as he starts to smooth out the branch.

               "You know me so well." Luci smacks his brother a kiss.

               "Why am I not surprised you two are getting along again?" Claire walks around the tree, clearly meaning the remark of a scathing condemnation of Raphael's character. Luci just rolls his eyes.

               "He's in shock. Highly traumatized people are generally more susceptable to my charms. As soon as he's not quite so emotionally vulnerable he'll be back to rejecting me in entirety." Luci stops and motions for silence. Amazingly enough the children actually pay attention. "Alright, get ready." Half a dozen werewolves burst into the clearing.

               "Oh, no, not you." One pauses as he sees Claire.

               "Eddie!" She grins maliciously, holding up her sword. "What are the odds?" Not much else is said and it honestly doesn't take long to dispatch five of them, with Luci catching Eddy by the throat with his whip.

                "For you, my dear." He shoves him over towards Claire. "So, Eddie, how do you know my darling granddaughter?" He pinches the were's cheek,

                "What the hell are you talking about?" Claire beheads each of the fallen weres.

                "He calls Castiel his son because he ascended with remnants of Lucifer's grace, largely to piss him off. Which by convoluted extention makes him able to call you his granddaughter. Probably for the same exact reason." Raphael explains shaking his head.

                 "I can't even begin to explain what's wrong with any of that." Claire brushes her hair back out of her face. "And Eddie was working with Krissy's ex last year. Haven't you learned not to fuck with me and mine yet, fuzzy?" She presses the point of her blade to the tip of his nose.

                 "There are bigger fish than you in here little hunter." Eddie snarls.

                 "Yeah, and one has his whip wrapped around your neck." Luci says sweetly.

                 "She's the devil." Claire informs him.

                 "She is a graceless angel just like the other one." He refers to Raphael.

                 "Have you ever even attended church? What do you think the devil is but a fallen angel." Claire rolls her eyes.

                 "All I see is a human girl and two graceless angels. Go ahead, kill me. you will be long gone just as I'm coming back." Eddie laughs. "What are you even doing here? Your little partner in trouble agian?"

                 "We're looking for the soul of a half turned vampire by the name of Alex." Raphael steps forwards.

                 "Oh, well, why didn't you say so? All the half turned vamps end up in the preserves. Closest thing the levi's can get to human flesh, until now at least. You know what? I would be more than happy to show you the way there." He smirks at her.

                 "I'm sure you would." Claire motions to Luci to remove the whip from around the were's neck. He does so and as soon as it's clear, Claire lops his head off without hesitation.

                 "What are you doing? He was going to take us to Alex?" Raphael protests, picking up the head as it rolls his way.

                 "No, he wasn't. this guy, not trustworthy, even slightly. Think he can come back without his head?" Claire grabs it from Raphael and slings it over her shoulder.

                "I would assume not." Luci can't help but smile. "He was bullshitting us, though. I doubt he knows anything about Alex at all. Plus if these jokers are anything to go by, she could take any of them without a problem. We've kind of been training. Well, we were before the change."

                "Alright. So, lets assume Sar dropped us off where she dropped Alex off. " Claire tosses the heads in a pile and rifles through the pockets of the decapitated werewolves. "What would she do? Where would she go?" There's a surprisingly clean handkerchief in one pocket and a couple of sharp peices of rock in another.

                 "Don't throw those away. they're flint!" Raphael moves to take them. "We can use it to light fires."

               "Are you sure?" Claire looks at them. Raphael just gives her a look which reminds her that earth is his element. He could probably tell diamond from cubic zirconium. "Right."

               "Speaking of rocks, did you ever show Alex that jeweled breastplate of yours?" Luci looks over at his brother who just ignores him.

               "I thought you had the jeweled breastplate." Claire strips one wolf of his long leather jacket. "Here. Better protection than what you have." she tosses it to Raphael.

               "No, I didn't need one. It's hard to hurt water. Plus a spear is generally a distance weapon. Michael's stronger than  I am so it's not exactly to my advantage to get close and speed can be a decisive factor. She still generally kicks my ass, but well, the few times I won, it was because of that." Luci starts clearing a large space and gathering wood for a pyre.

               "There was probably confusion because of his wings." Raphael starts to help. "The frozen feathers shone like the brightest gems. You saw the sculptures. "If you didn't know it was ice, your first instinct would be to think gemstone."

                "True." Claire starts dismembering the headless corpses for ease of transport. "That leads me to another question, that I might as well ask. So, Michael's considered female beause he's the strongest and basically a momma bear to all the little angels and stuff and you know that's how it is and was in nature for the most part. But why did you two decide you identifie more as male than anything else? And why is Gabriel considered female when she's not much like Michael at all."

                 "Well, I'm male because I was the most beatiful." Luci informs her. "Male creatures are always prettier to be honest. Even with humans men have better eyelashes to say the least. Like Harahel was initially considered male because her wings were so lovely."

                  "Really? she said her siblings decided she was male because she was small, weak and basically useless except for making copies. Or so I was told." Claire grins. This clearly irritates the two in a very satisfactory manner. " By that measure, Gabriel is the smallest and weakest of the four of you, so why female and not male?"

                 "Largely due to relationships." Luci informs her. "Michael is so clearly female and I'm so clearly male that Raphael, Michael's precious little darling could only be male. We didn't get along and some genders clash more generally within themselves than with the opposite gender. It was the same with Michael and Gabriel to a lesser degree. Plus, while cute, her rainment really paled compared to Raphael's. Especially the breastplate."

                 "So you're both male because you're the prettiest?" Claire smirks.

                 "You got it."  Luci winks at her and starts piling up sticks twigs and leaves. "Alright. Time to send a message."

 

 

                "What the hell is that?" Alex hears as they approach the quarry. She turns, along with Benny to see a large plume of thick black smoke rising in the distance.

                "Either someone extremely dangerous or someone in extreme danger." Benny comments. "Boys, girls,..." he looks at them. They shrug, and not a few give a sigh and head back out towards the smoke. "Ms. Jones." he motions to the steps carved into the quarry.

                 "So, the quarries don't regenerate?"

                 "Not the parts we constantly use. The regeneration fairies leave them alone." He grins.

                 "Do you think there are actual creatures that take care of the landscaping?" Alex asks at the statement. If she wasn't a half turned vampire trapped in the monster afterlife, it might seem like a dumb question but honestly, fairies are a pretty viable explanation.

                 "Nah." He looks like he finds the question amusing anyways. "The levi's would eat em. So, half turned, huh?  How long did you manage to fight the thirst?"

                 "All of five minutes." Alex says bluntly. "Eve and Dick's mother turned me to send me to purgatory when she killed me so I couldn't warn the angels and so she could take my place. I am, was unfortunately in a unique position relative to the archangels."

                 "The archangels? I thought they were all killed off."

                 "They got better. Gabriel's a freind of mine. Michael's a freind kind of and former patient. Apparently being locked in a cage all alone is not good for your mental health no matter what you are. Raphael's.... he was kind of my boyfreind and Lucifer's my assistant manager at the hunter sanctuary. They actually put her there so the Levi's wouldn't get access to her an her knowledge now that she's human."

                  "The devil's a woman? I knew it." Why does every man have that reaction?

                  "At the moment, she's a teenage girl but she says male is more appropriate. I dunno, I just have a hard time with the whole gender or lack of gender thing. Man, woman, male, female, fluid, inter, it's just a big minefeild and there are no good singular pronounds that aren't gender specific. I mean, you can't call someone it and using they, you never know if you're talking about one person or many. And right now it's just as insulting or offensive to ask as it is to guess and get it wrong, so,,,, I dunno. She's a girl, she doesn't mind being called she, so I use she and her even though everyone else tends to call her him and he unless they're in public. Of course then there's Michael who everyone says is more female than anything but he's in a male vessel so goes by those pronouns and thinks gender is absurd anyway."

                 "You lost me a few sentances ago."

                 "I know. Don't worry about it. And she goes by Luci now, not Lucifer. She's reforming. She's trying. It's a long story. Oh year and my sister is the daughter of Castiel's vessel too, so I'm connected to him as well. I keep forgetting he's an archangel now. He's the angel Dean wouldn't leave behind." She informs him.

                 "I know." Benny gives a curt smile at the mention of his name. "So he's an archangel now. How's that affect him and Dean?"

                 "They manage. They've been dating for a while, so they've got it all figure out now. Surprised?" She smiles at his widened eyes.

                 "That they ever got around to it, yeah. The man couldn't even tell him he loved him after searching the preserves for him for a goddamn year. Pretty sure everybody in purgatory knew it by the time he left."

                  "Yeah, but Dean would have done that for anybody." Alex shrugs.

                  "Maybe. But you don't look at a freind that way. At least, I sure as hell don't." Benny shakes his head. "Well, I'm happy for him. So can I take it your angel will be coming for you soon?"

                   "My angel and I are... on a break. He won't know I'm even dead an I have to go back to them to warn them so they don't get hurt. Is there any way to summon a reaper here? He and Azrael are close. If I can let her know he's in trouble maybe she can let them know. God, I hope it's not too late." Alex covers her mouth.

                 "I think we can do that. We've been trying to bargain with them about where they drop off who. Like the half turns and the rest of those who die without hurting hunting or eating humans, or legitimately trying to stop. They're generally the ones that gravitate to us anyway. Of course it does take a few some hard luck and rough living to come around. Isn't that right, Cody?" He nods to a vamp carrying a block of stone on his shoulder, at least he smells like a vamp. The young man turns at his words and drops the stone in shock.

                "Oh my god. Alex?" He's over to her and embracing her before she can flee. A million mixed emotions run through her but the strongest of which being disbelief that he's actually glad to see her or not angry and blaming her for his death.

               "You know each other?" Benny sounds surprised.

               "This is my sister." He keeps hugging her tightly. "Momma said she'd turned you, but you look all grown up..." He pushes away holding her at arms length.

               "They turned me back." Alex says quietly. "This is... this happened recently. I..."

                "Do you want to have a moment alone?" Benny offers.

                "No." Alex says quickly. "No I... later... I have to... No..."

                 "It'll take a little bit to get the ingredients together."

                 "No, it's okay. It's... I understand." Cody lets go of her completely. "I'm sorry, Alex. Or, should I call you Anne. That's what your name really was, right? Anne? Annie?"

                "I don't... I don't even know who Anne was. I just... stayed Alex. It's what I was used to."  Alex hugs her arms to her body. "Is it just you? Here? With them?"

                "Mostly. Momma's here sometimes, too. But she's mostly off with Dale and Conner. They're bounty hunters. She makes sure they're okay. As usual. I don't... Alex, I don't blame you. Not anymore.  Not for any of it. I mean it."

                "It's okay." Is all she can think of to say, though both of them know it's not okay and probably won't be any time soon. "Mr. Laffite? Where's your pantry? I know a few different reaper summons. You might have everything for one of them." Alex moves closer to Benny who looks between her and Cody.

                "Sure. This way." he puts an arm around her back and leads her off to a lower cavern dug into the quarry walls. "You're that Alex."

                "Yep. I'm that Alex." She says quietly. That Alex, the seven year old Momma kidnapped to replace her own lost daughter god knows why. The Alex who lured in men to feed her family, who fed them herself when there was nothing else to be had, the one who couldn't take it anymore and ran off leading her family to their deaths this time. Of course they'd be here. Of course they would be. How can she ever face them again? Can they ever really forgive her? Can she forgive them? Why does she want both answers to be yes and no at the same time. She'd be happy never seeing or thinking about any of them again. But that's not going to happen is it? who'd have thought that seeing your family again would be the worst part of dying?

                Luckily for her they do have enough to do the arabic reaper summoning. And Azrael when called for by name appears oddly promptly.

                "Hello." Alex says quietly.

                "I'm not resurrecting you." The angel says bluntly.

                "What?  No, of course not, you're a reaper, that's not what you do." Alex replies a bit taken aback. "Raphael's in danger. A leviathan took my place, please you have to warn him. I know you were close once..."

                "Oh." Azrael looks equally surprised, not expecting that at all. "Wow. You're just... accepting your fate? No begging, pleading, threatening, trying to bargain."

                "For now at least, I guess. I'm dead, so that's a thing that's already happened so what would I be bargaining for. But my being dead isn't the important thing right now. Please warn him, Azrael. I don't want anything to happen to him, or any of them." She begs. Azrael just looks at her, a moment, hands on her hips and tilts her head.

                "Now I wish I'd actually talked to you when bringing you here." Azrael says after a moment. "He already knows. And Lucifer has temporarily nuetralized the leviathan. They're on their way to you, your sister, too. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and prepare for Michael's inevitable explosion when he finds out." Azrael rolls her eyes and vanishes. Alex just gapes at the circle and looks towards the exit.  Raphael, Claire and Luci are here? Now?

                 "We'll find them." Benny says firmly. "And you know they'll have a better chance of finding you if you stay put. Okay?"

                 "Right." Alex nods, and sits down, clasping her hands and starts to pray.

 

             

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CLARIFICATION  
> Alex's confusion about how to address gender and frustration with not knowing how to do it all the time is in no way a criticism or derision of gender identity, intersex or gender fluidity, or a way of stating that the gender binary is the way to go. Its more of frustration with the current language itself being insufficient for the needed purpose and having no nuetral way to address the issue.   
>  Alex has tried very hard to be properly intersectional open minded and inclusive ever since Claire was caught making out with her tutor, Jenny. She's not perfect but she's trying. 
> 
> personally i have no idea how to pronounce either pwned or latinx. and kind of think 'e and em would flow easier than ze or zir or the other things i cant really remember. 
> 
> also yes Claire asked her questions to fuck with them, Luci answered the same way for the same reason and Raphael is generally trying to just ignore them and rescue Alex.
> 
> this chapter is kind of a mess but like the chapter in devil pray where they discuss Gabriel's pregnancy I was stuck and couldnt move forwards other wise. so forgive me the clumsiness hopefully i'll be able to go back and fix it (and devil pray) later


	25. Charms to soothe the savage beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael confronts Billy  
> Alex and the rebels get Luci's message  
> Claire, Luci, and Raph endlessly irritate each other  
> Our heroes get an escort who makes Raphael's day and discover the greatest injustice of purgatory.

        "What do you mean you took my brothers to purgatory!" Michael grabs Billy's collar. "Raphael doesn't have his grace!"

        "He asked. As a personal favor." She attempts to remove his hands but doesn't have to as his anger causes his fingers to burn through the leather. "This was my favorite jacket."

        "Those are my favorite SIBLINGS! BRING THEM BACK!"

        "No. And if you don't calm, down your little hunter freind is going to be taking a similar journey." Billy nods over to the red faced Krissy, sweating in the increasingly intense heat of the apartment. 

        "They could be hurt or killed, and I swear to all that is if they don't get out of there alive I will send you straight back to the abyss and keep sending you there until I have them both back safe and sound. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, AZRAEL?" He grabs her by the throat.

        "Michael." A stern voice reprimands him. "Remove your hands from my angel immediately. And tend to your siblings favorite human before she dies of heat exhaustion." As if on cue, Krissy staggers a little, and has to sit down on the nearby couch in a daze. "I thought you had gained control of this particular issue, neice. You are nine days old." Death rebukes the embarassed Michael as the angel gains control of himself and revives the overheated hunter

       "My apologies." He nods to her. Krissy just shrugs.

       "This is why people don't like telling you things, Michael." Billy shakes her head.

       "Azrael." Death gives her a sharp look.

       "It's not my job to retrieve his foolish siblings from the land of abominations." She defends herself.

       "Neither was it your job to take them there. At least be honest about the reasons for your refusal. Michael is not unreasonable." He chides her, leaning on his staff. Azrael sighs and crosses her arms, not looking entirely thrilled.

      "Fine. I don't like you. I hate your sister. I'm not too fond of your inlaws and I really dislike Lucifer. I hope he dies in there, but Claire blackmailed me and Raphael just had those sad eyes and wanted to save his darling. While I respect the natural order I don't always agree with it, and I don't think half turned vampires or monsters that don't do anything worse than just existing deserve purgatory, so if he got her out by himself that's fine. I did my job in taking her there, what happens after that, not my problem. Yes, I'm turning a blind eye to the possibility of him ressurrecting her, but its incredibly unlikely as she was eaten in entirety and I doubt she's donated any organs. At best, he can probably just take her to heaven, or let her be reborn." She explains.

       "Without his grace? I could have had it back to him in a minute." Michael challenges. "Even if you hate the rest of us, why would you endanger him this way?"

       "As if you would have let either of them go without you. Besides  do you know what kind of havoc he could wreck on that place with his grace? Not to mention what you would have done. We're still dealing with the aftermath of your little visit to hell. There are more souls flooding the abyss now that there are workers to put them away! What the fuck were you thinking? Where did you expect all those damned souls to go when you destroyed their home? Did you even think about what that would mean for us and our reapers?"

        "Are you aware that the quicker they find Alex, the quicker they get out again. And the less carnage there will be? The longer Helel is in there, the more damage he'll do, far more than anything Raphael would have done even with his grace." Michael argues.

        "They can't send the residents to the abyss. They can only temporarily inconvenience them. And you are not going in there to cause more chaos so don't even ask."

        "I don't want to cause Chaos. I just want my brother's back."

        "They'll be fine. The princess of darkness won't let anything happen to Raphael until he loves him again at the very least. And Claire needs Raphael to resurrect Alex from nothing. If you want to be useful go try and find any spare bits and pieces of the woman for when he comes back. I know intellectual pursuits aren't your strong point, but I'm sure you'll figure something out." Azrael reaches up and pats his head. "Ouch. Careful, Miqa. You don't want to have another accident." Only Death's presence is saving her from getting beaten to a bloody pulp and she knows it.

         Krissy gives Death a little wave and pulls her collar down to show a black bra strap with little red bows on it, mouthing 'still love it'. Death just grins and nods, thoughs he gets a rather feirce look from Azrael before the two vanish.

         "Don't you think that was a bit inappropriate?" Michael comments, still feeling the need to bitch someone out for something.

          "Well, maybe a little, but it was kind of funny in hindsight and he meant well." Krissy shrugs, straightening her shirt. Michael just gives her an odd look, before decided to just let it go. As he learned with his little sister, cryptic and confusing comments like that are often better not delved into.

          "How could you have let them do this?" He demands instead. Krissy just holds out her hands, an incredulous look on her face.

          "How exactly could I have stopped them?" She asks, "Because I'm fairly sure that kind of knowledge would come in handy in the future." Michael's lack of reply indicates he realizes she has a point.

           "Where's Claire!" And of course, Dean and Cas appear, just because things need to be that much more complicated.

           "In purgatory with my brothers." Michael replies curtly, making it very clear with his tone which of them he actually gives a shit about.

           "How could you let her do this?" Dean turns to Krissy who just gives him a dark look, and crosses her arms. Unbelievable.

           "You know what I need a drink. Does anyone else need a drink?" She walks over to the counter and takes down a small glass, then opens the freezer to get some ice. A black bag with something round inside falls out. She tries to catch it, but the bag rips open dropping the Alex-shaped head out from it, with frozen black goo on the hacked off neck.  "Oh my God!" 

           

 

           "Benny." A man heavily tattooed with tribal patterns enters the cavern as Alex finishes filling the vampire in on the situation. He's holding five peices of bark that they can smell are all stained with blood. "A small werewolf pack was slaughtered. The fire was their bodies being burned their heads where stuck on spikes, heading east of here away from us. With these in their mouths. He holds up a peice with a tooth holes in the top.

          'Roses are red'

          'Violets are blue'

          'Hurt Alex Jones'

          'We'll do this to you'

          'Burma Shave' 

          And of course Claire Luci and Raphael have signed the last one with an angel emoji, a devil emoji, and the sword one Claire uses as her signature on her texts. Alex can't help but grin at it. Even Benny looks faintly amused.

          "Burma Shave murdered and entire wolf pack and left only their heads! You know what torture that is. How is this amusing?" the man snaps. Of course this just makes Alex and Benny start laughing their asses off.

          "No, it's a joke.  Burma Shave is a shaving cream that had humorous ads about traffic safety in a similar style on bilboards way back when. It's my sister and my ex boyfreind and his... sister I guess." Alex frowns. If she says brother they'll be looking for two boys. and a girl.

          "Claire Novak, the archangel Raphael and Lucifer." Benny clarifies slightly annoyed that Alex left it so vague. "If they're dealing with Lucifer it's best the men know that ahead of time. Even if she's not specifically an enemy."

          "Wait. Lucifer as in the devil?" The man's eyes bug half out of his head at this. 

          "It's okay. He's human and reformed. Reforming. She's trying. No. Really." Alex insists as he gives her a patronizingly sympathetic look. "Do you know where they're going? Or where they are?"

          "They seem to be heading towards Eve's palace, or the preserves depending how lost they get."

          "Can you take me to them? We really don't want anyone to get a hold of them." Alex pleads.

          "I don't know. I wouldn't mind seeing the devil square off with either Eve or the Levi's." Benny comments thoughtfully stroking his beard. "It'd definitely keep them too busy to bother with us."

         "Luci's been working on destroying the levianthan and  knows how to hurt them. Beyond that, the whole reason we were keeping her away from the leviathan back on earth is because now that she's human, a single touch can give them access to everything she's ever known and experienced. Do you want either Eve or the Levi's to have access to any of that?"

         "I'd kind of like access to that." The tattooed man comments wistfully.

         "Alright. Let me get a few things together. Ruihi, take a note or something from Alex and drop it off to the Burma Shave gang. Don't bring them here, just start leading them to the portal. We'll catch up. Do not get too close. Understand?"

         "Of course." he nods, sticking his hands in his jeans. 

         "I'll be right back."

         "So, are you Australian?" Alex asks, rubbing her arm. Ruihi's face darkens, looking as insulted and appalled as if she just slapped his dying mother with a dead fish." Sorry. New Zealand then. I'm not great at accents." She apologizes.

         "I'm maori. My mother was anyway. My father was a shifter. It was hell memorizing the tattoos enough to bring them back after each shift. for a while I just had to redo em in henna each and every time." He runs his hand over his well muscled arms, drawing attention to the tribal markings. "And not getting stoned to death for witchcraft, yeah? I lasted a long while. Do you have anything significant I can give them? To prove it's you? Granted only the most important items to you actually translate in death. Like that ring. What's that a wedding ring?" He nods to her hand. Alex looks down and steps back, a bit surprised to see the Wurtzite Boron Nitride engagement ring on her finger. She didn't even notice it before. It just felt so natural there. 

         "It's the ring he proposed to me with.  I turned him down."

         "No wonder. Look at that junk."

         "It's not junk! It's the very core of his being." Alex protests holding it protectively to her chest.

         "He couldn't have at least stuck a diamond on there?"

         "I wouldn't want one. Do you know how many people suffer and murder and wage war for diamonds? And they aren't even rare. It's all inflated due to an artificial scarcity brought about by a coalition of jewelry companies manipulating the market. He would never give me a diamond." She closes her eyes for a moment. "Alright. Is there any thing like paper?" She looks around. He takes out a soft peice of inner bark from his pocket and gives her a starply pointed stick to write with. She just looks at him.

         "You're your own inkwell." He turns over his wrist and mimics poking his veins.

          "Oh." The note takes her a few minutes as she keeps healing. But eventually she says everything she wants to say. "Alright. Here." She delicately rolls it up an sticks it into the ring.

          "Pleasure doing business." He takes it and walks out to a flat open area before exploding into a giant eagle.

          "Ugh! Ruihi! What have I told you about shifting in the compound? I am not cleaning this crap up!" She hears a woman scold. "Stupid shifter, that man... all men are the same, I swear to god..." The muttering commences as a woman comes into the room, grabs a bag of sawdust and goes back out again. So that's what all those little bags are around for. "You! Half-turned. Get out here and help me."

 

          "So where exactly are we going?" Claire asks as they trudge through the woods.

          "I have no idea." Luci shrugs. Claire stops walking. "Tired?  Need a break?"

          "I need my sister. That's what I need. And I don't see how wandering aimlessly in the wilderness is going to help with that. Why din't we just wait with the heads? And interrogate the next people who came? Why are we following you for that matter?"

          "You can't help it. I'm a natural leader an you're a human being. You're designed to crave direction during times of uncertainty. You'll follow any jackass who acts like he knows what he's doing." Luci looks around. "Plus I'm your grandfather and Raphael's elder sibling. As head of the family it's my responsiblity to make these kind of decisions."

          "You are not my goddamn grandfather!"

          "Hey." Luci gives her a sharp look. "Do not take your great grandfather's name in vain. Or is he just your grandfather? Both I think. That sounds kind of weird, like Cas is my son with my father. That's kind of disturbing, don't you think?" He muses, tapping his lip.

           "You're fucking our older sister. You don't get to be disturbed by incestuous semantics." Raphael replies dryly leaning against his staff.  "Now stop baiting her. I know you're bored but that's no reason to try and rile Claire into a murderous rage."

            "Well, what else is there to do?" Luci protests.

            "You could play the damn guitar, sing, juggle knives, recite filthy limericks, see how many cartwheels you can do before smashing into a tree. The options are limitless." The smart ass response just makes Luci start laughing.

             "I've missed you." he pinches his baby brother's cheek. Of course the only response he gets to this is a look of pure irritation from Raphael.

              The cry of an eagle quickly gets their attention not the least because it's the only animal sound they've heard since they entered. An enormous golden eagle drops something in their midst before perching on a lagre sturdy branch in a nearby tree. Claire picks it up as the other two keep an eye on the bird of prey. After handing Raphael the knife, Luci looks back to Claire.

             "Claire, Lucy, Raphael. This shifter is ruihi. He's part of Benny Lafitte's group of people not rebelling against the warring factions of Eve and Dick.   
You're going towards Eve. He's going to take you to the portal. Benny and I will meet you on the way. Raphael should recognize the ring. I didn't accept it in life, it seems its part of my very soul as are you, Raphael. I didn't cherish you enough. I'm sorry for letting my fear get in the way. I'm sorry." Luci reads aloud peering over the top of the paper. "I bet she's sorry. Rejecting you got her ass eaten by leviathan."

              "Hey, she loves that winged war criminal." Claire defends her sister. "She just has issues about marriage and babies and things like that. Hell it took a year an a half for Rhys to get past the walls in regards to sex. She shouldn't apologize for being spooked by a screaming emotional toddler."

              "I see you've been talking to Gabriel." Luci smiles as Raphael does his best to ignore the two. "Alright." he snatches the ring from Claire's hand when she opens her fist to look at it closer. "Is this really the ring you made her?" Luci hands it to his brother. The slow hopeful smile that lights up his face is answer enough. "Do you have pockets? No, of course not." He looks his brother's outfit over. "I don't suppose it'll fit you?" Raphael just gives him a wry look. "Alright, hold on." Luci takes off her necklace of saint medallions and strips the medallions, off, tucking them into the tiniest pocket of his jeans, except for Michael's medallion which he slips into his bra and hands the chain over to Raphael. "So you don't loose it." Raphael doesn't say anything, but he looks a little touched as he takes the chain, slips the ring on it and clasps it around his neck.

              "Is this written in Alex's blood?" Claire looks closer at the writing.

              "Well, They're a little short on ink, don't you think?" Luci rolls her eyes. "Now, I think it's safe to say that no one would be stupid enough to fake this as it's a as much a symbol of your rejection as it is of your love for each other. And I doubt they'd be able to create a wurtzite boron nitride ring out of thin air. Or forcibly remove a piece of her soul from her as that clearly is."

              "You mean like the items we looted from the souls we severed?" Claire comments.

              "I doubt that leather jacket was very sentimental. Anyways, let's follow the bird. If he's lying we'll pluck and roast him for dinner. I'm not hungry but I haven't eaten for a while." Luci smacks the eagle a kiss.

               "Why don't you just admit that you have no idea what you're doing or whether or not we should take this at face value?" Claire argues as Raphael just holds the ring to his chest.

               "That's an incredibly stupid question, Claire. Why would I ever admit something like that regardless of whether it's true or not?"

               "We're not going anywhere." Raphael states calmly. "We're staying right here until Alex meets up with us. Do you understand me? Bring Alex here, then we'll see about leaving."   He looks up at the eagle who makes a motion alot like a shrug and flies off above the trees again.

                "That's an exceedingly stupid idea, Raphael." Luci corrects him. "Staying in one place will just let every single monster in the woods get to us that much easier."

               "Then we'll kill them and build a fort out of their dead bodies. I'm not following them into a possible trap."

               "It's not a trap."

               "You can't possibly know that!" Claire exclaims, hating the fact that she's in agreement with Raphael over anything.

               "Because the longer we're in here, the more of them we'll slaughter, so they'll want us out as soon as possible." Is the entirely unsatisfactory reply.

               "So because of your inflated ego overwhelming all traces of common sense." Baby brother's still in pristine form despite the love sickness still in his eyes.

               "She might have a point." Claire concedes,equally pissed at agreeing with the devil. "When Dean and Castiel were here, Dean terrorized the entire population of purgatory looking for him. Now there are three of us here cutting down all who get in between us and my sister. They're not going to want us to stick around very long."   
              "And it's not ego to acknowledge that you an I are the most badass fighters in here, Raph." Luci reminds him. "And Claire would probably survive for a while."

              "Gee thanks."

              "I'm not going anywhere until Alex gets here." Raphael just sits down, back to a large tree, resting his staff across his knees.

              "Seriously?" Claire looks down at him. "You're just going to sit there like a cranky toddler? You and your brother both childish as fuck."

              "Fine. Our guide left anyway." Luci sits own beside him and takes out the guitar.

               "Are you kidding me? Do you know how far that will carry?" Claire exclaims.

               "About half as far as your whining?" Luci says sweetly, tuning it. "Why pretend we won't be found regardless. And who knows they may prefer my singing to murdering us. Besides I'm bored. I can either do this or I can repeatedly poke you with a stick. Now stop whining or I'll start singing Baby Beluga non stop."

               "You're going to get us killed, both of you." Claire snaps. "Now stop fucking around and get up so we can go." Luci just looks up at her and strums the guitar.

               "Baby beluga in the deep blue sea, Swim so wild and you swim so free. Heaven above and the sea below, an a little white whale on the go." It's not until the seventeenth repetition that Claire breaks and goes to smash the guitar with her blade. Fortunately Raphael was anticipating it, and intercepts her before she can secure her own torturous death.

               "Baby buh-loooga." they hear a tiny voice keep singing in the trees, though Luci's stopped at the fray. Claire and Raphael halt in their struggle, and look around. There's the sound of someone being shushed.

                "What would you like me to play next?" Luci asks brightly, his voice like spun sugar.

                "Wees onna bus!"

                "Dammit, River!" An older voice, though not an adult one exclaims as a small two or three year old runs out from behind a tree to sit down cross legged in front of Luci and look up at her hopefully.

                "The wheels on the bus go round and round.."

                 "Wound and wound, wound and wound." the toddler crows along with her.

                 "We won't hurt you." Claire puts her sword away and reassure the young girl who slowly walks out and over to River. She looks no more than eight.

                  "You're human." she looks at her suspiciously.

                 "Yes." Claire crouches down, to speak to her at eye level. "My name's Claire. This is Luci and this is Raphael." She points to them in turn. "What's your name?"

                 "Ashley. This is my brother River. Are you hunters?" She whispers the word but it doesn't seem to do any good as River looks frightened at it.

                  "No." Claire quickly lies. "We're... what do you know about hunters?" Claire asks gently as Luci keeps singing, drawing back River's attention. Ashley gives Claire a hard look. "Were you... I'm so sorry."

                  "Why? You said you're not a hunter." Ashley challenges. "What are you two?" She points to Luci and Raph.

                 "We're angels." Raphael says softly.

                 "You're an angel?" River scoots closer to Luci looking at him in awe.

                 "Where are your wings?" Ashley demands, tucking her hands into her sleeves.

                 "They had to put them away to come in here."Claire explains.

                 "Lucy?" River tugs on his sleeve. "Can you tell God we sowwy? We didn't mean to be bad. Can we have our mommy and daddy back? I pomise to be good." Raphael shoots his brother a very clear forbidding look. Much to his surprise though, instead of informing the child that their father doesn't give a shit, or something along those lines, Luci takes heed and just pats the boys head.

                 "We'll see what we can do." he promises.

                 "Where are your parents?" Claire looks around the trees as the possibility of the children being used as a distraction occurs to her.

                 "They got eaten."

                  "By Leviathan?" Ashley just looks away. "Ashley?"

                  "No. They got eaten by some monsters. They ate their hearts and was going to eat mine but they bit me and got River too because I was holding him and hunters came and killed it, and when he saw we were bitten, he killed us, too."

                  "Oh, my god." Claire covers her mouth, Raphael just goes still. Luci of course doesn't seem any more concerned by this than he would be about hearing about someone euthanizing rabid rats, though he starts singing another song for River. "How long have you been here?"

                 "I don't know." Ashley sits down and pulls River back, to sit on her lap. "All I know is that this sucks. We went to church and we were baptized and said our prayers  and we were all supposed to go to heaven with our parents. This can't be heaven."

                  "No, it's not." Raphael says softly. "This... how could she bring children here? This has to have been a mistake."

                  "Maybe. But what if it isn't? We have to take them out of here and get them to their parents in heaven." Claire looks at Raphael, as if expecting him to argue. He looks insulted but doesn't respond to her.

                  "Are there other children in here, Ashley?" he asks.

                  "I don't know. Someone said so but he could have been lying." Ashley sounds skeptical. "A while ago some men and a woman caught us and said he'd take us to play with other children and with momma Eve. But he said to behave because bad children go to the levi's to be eaten and River's too little to be good the way they wanted him to be. So when some people attacked and tried to steal us from them, we ran away and I've been trying to keep away from everyone. But he hear you singing and playing the guitar and we haven't hear a guitar in so long. He can be really fast sometimes." Ashley rests her cheek on the top of her brother's head.

                   "Where's the axe?" Raphael turns to his brother. Luci nods to the backpack. "I'm chopping wood to make a fort."

                    "You're going to make a fort." Claire says blankly.

                    "Have fun." Luci pulls the axe from his back and hands it to his brother before going back to singing for his adoring audience. Raphael takes out his anger on the surrounding saplings. As the archangels don't seem to be taking the danger seriously, Claire just stands guard, waiting for the inevitable onslaught.

        

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Krissy's bra- In Children of Men when Krissy was held prisoner by Hades, she had trouble getting undergarments from them, so a message intended to Claire who was Death's adjutant at the time she asked for a set. Unfortunately the message was on an invitation to a psychopomp party and her messenger gave the wrong invitations to Claire and Death. Given his sense of humor, although he knew it was a mistake, Death brought her a set of bra and panties anyways, that were black decorated with hello kitty skulls complete with the little red bows. After initial mortification, Krissy now finds it hillarious. They are now her favorite set of underthings.


	26. Homeward Bound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex reunites with Claire, Lucy and Raphael and heads home.

                  "Really?" Benny frowns as Ruihi relays the message.

                  "Yeah," The shifter shrugs. "He just flat out refused to move. They're not all that far. I can bring her there."

                  "Aright. I kind of wanted them further away from us, but if that's how it is, we'll get moving." Benny sighs and adjusts his cap. "Alex? Sorry I couldn't give you more time with your brother, but I agree that it'd be best if the Levi's didn't have access to you. You know what, I'll have Cory come with us. I know how important family is." He pats her shoulder. Alex doesn't really know what to say to this, so she doesn't say anything and just follows him down the steps as Ruihi goes to get Cory. Everyone assembles very quickly and heads out in a tight formation.

                    "So, an angel, a hunter and the devil have all come to claim your soul." Cory whistles, walking beside her. "You always were the golden child." Alex just ignores him. "So which of the three is your lover?" He nudges her in a tone that's clearly teasing. "The devil?"

                    "You really think I'd be in purgatory no matter what my humanity if I was the devil's lover? Even if she is no probation..." Alex shakes her head.

                   "The devil's a woman? I knew it." Cory gets a punch in the arm for this. "Ow, you pack a punch now little sister." He laughs, rubbing his arm. "So tell me, this hunter is he good to you?"

                   "Raphael is an angel and yes, he is. He's the most handsome intelligent wonderful creature I've ever known."

                   "And does he know? About your life with us?" Cory asks quietly, though with all the supernatural hearing it doesn't do anything except tell the others to pretend they don't hear.

                   "Yes." Alex says just as quietly.

                   "And he's okay with that?"

                   "We've both made mistakes, done things we regret, that we felt we had to do at the time. Things we have trouble forgiving ourselves for. But it's not all we are or all we can be and we both know that. That's as close to okay with anything we've done as anyone should be."

                  "How do you have sex with an angel?" Cory makes a face.

                  "Well, first you clear your schedule..." Alex's comment makes a few in the procession snicker or choke back laughter.

                  "No, I mean, do they have bodies? Or what?"

                 "Some of them have vessels they can use. He does, of course. He's a healer."

                 "Does anyone else hear a guitar?" A vampire up front with Benny comments. Everyone is quiet for a moment as Benny shushes them and the low tones of guitar playing in the distance can be heard through the trees.

                 "Oh for Pete's sake." Benny gives an exasperated sigh. "They'll draw every bounty hunter in the area. We'd better hurry up, men." He waves and they start running towards the music. Alex just gives a sigh and does her best to keep up. Luci is being a pain again, most likely. As they near she can hear her singing and a tiny off key voice chiming in at the chorus.

                 "Do they have a child with them?" One asks Ruihi.

                 "Not when I saw them."

                 "Shit." Benny swears.

                 "What's wrong?" Alex asks.

                 "Eve gathers all the children to her. Either some ran of or these are new ones. Either way this just got a lot more dangerous."

                 "There are children in here?" She thought she'd heard him say that but that can't possibly be true. It's too horrific to think about.

                 "All monsters go to purgatory darlin', even the little ones."

                 "But... but they're innocents. They're children."

                 "Doesn't matter. Though most of them ain't so innocent by the time they get here." Benny says regretfully.

                 "That's not fair." Alex knows how stupid it sounds the second it leaves her mouth.

                 "Life's not fair. And Death, even less so."

                 "Sure he has his favorites, but generally, yes, he is. It's supposed to be the great equalizer and Claire would have never spoken so highly of someone capable of that level of... of dickishness. Sending children here." Alex almost snarls at the thought.

                 "You talk as if Death is an actual person." Cory laughs at her. Alex just shoots him a look. "He.. he is? Or is Death a woman, too?"

                 "I bet you everything I own death is an old fat white man." Ruihi snorts.

                 "Close. He's not fat." Alex puts everything she has into it as she hears Raphael's voice saying something to his brother in enochian. "Raphael!" She calls, seeing him standing by a small lean to, holding a staff. He turns to face her as she slows down a bit too late and ends up knocking him over when she embraces him. "Oh shit." She pushes herself up by looking at him as he rubs his head. "I'm sorry. Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I.." She pauses for a moment, and puts her head to his chest to confirm. "Why is your heart beating?"

                 "Azrael wouldn't let me in with my grace." he explains, putting a hand to her cheek. "Alex, are you alright?"

                 "I'm... oh, Raph, I'm so sorry." She buries her face in his neck, just completely engulfed in the smell and feel and warmth of him. "I never should have pushed you away."

                "I shouldn't have gone so fast. It was my fault, not yours. I left you alone and vulnerable. Can you ever forgive me?" He kisses her cheek, holding her just as tightly.

                "It wasn't. I wasn't. I was just afraid and ruined everything. I love you and don't ever want you to go away. If you need to marry me, I'll.. I'll do that..."

                "Not until you're ready. Just be let me be with you and that's enough."

                "Jesus, you two, get a fucking room." Claire exclaims as they kiss oblivious to the entire universe. "Seriously."

                "Shut up, Novak." Luci beans her with a stick and puts his guitar away as the children hide behind him.  "Alex. Who are your friends?" He gets up.

                "I'm Benny. Benny Lafite. We're here to guide the four of you to the exit."

                "The six of us." Luci corrects him.

                "Six?"

                 "We're taking the kids."

                 "Okay... are you sure about that?" Benny makes a face. Not that he expects hunters to be reasonable about this sort of thing.

                 "Yeah, well, he'd never leave them behind." Luci rolls his eyes, nodding to his brother. "Alright, lead on before the lovebirds give us another child to worry about." She waves Benny forwards. Alex blushes slightly and gets to his feet, helping Raphael up along with her.

                "Alex.. This is your angel?" Cory eyes Raphael distastefully.

                "Yes. Raphael, this is Cody one of my... brothers. Cody this is Raphael my..." She pauses not sure weither to say boyfriend, fiancée, or significant other.

                "Angelic boy toy?" Claire comments.

                "That's Claire, my sister." Alex shoots her a look.

                "Pleasure to meet you Miss Claire." Cody ignores Raphael and offers Claire his hand. She just looks at it a moment and turns away. "This is the company you're keeping now." He asks, his voice dripping with disdain.

                "Yes." She replies cooly as he pulls her aside. "I understand not like the devil or a hunter, but what the hell's your problem with Raphael?"

                "You didn't tell me he was colored."Cody hisses. Alex just covers her eyes

                "She didn't tell us her brother was an idiot, either, so I guess we were both unprepared." Luci would of course hear.

                "Listen you little..."

                "Enough. Cody, none of that kind of talk. What's wrong with you, you know better." Benny snaps.

                "I didn't realized you found us coloreds so distasteful. "Ruihi gives Cody a cold look.

                "I'm fine with ya'll so long as you're not screwing my baby sister. If everyone just stuck with their own kind, there'd be no problems."

                 "I know how you feel. My sister married outside her own race. But it's my fault, if I'd done my job right and destroyed humanity, it never would have happened." Luci shakes his head sadly.

                "There, you see, the devil agrees with you so you must be right." Ruihi's sarcasm is piercing. "I'm going to go scout our path." he runs far enough ahead not to splatter gunk on everyone when he changes and flies off.

                "That was not your damned job and you know it." Raphael snaps.

                "I was showing initiative." Luci smiles at his unamused little brother. "Well, I was really more of an... entrepenuer."

                "You were a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum and you know it." Raphael glares at him.

                "Potato- potahto." He shrugs.

                "She's teasing you, Raph." Alex sighs. "She's just joking."

                "It's not funny, Helel."               

                "It is a little." Luci protests innocently at his brother's scowl.

                "No, it isn't."        

 

               "Borax, huh." Benny considers. "Too bad we don't have any."

               "Here." Luci takes a out a large box of it. "It's getting heavy. Take these, too." He hands them the super soakers. 

               "Water guns?" Ruihi looks them over.

               "Filled with a borax and water solution. If you can encase their heads in cement after you remove them, or freeze them... Are there any cold areas or can you make cement?" Luci asks.

              "No, we haven't quite figured that out yet. But  mother Eve has people who can." Benny looks over at his men. "Might be worth looking into."

              "There's always clay?" a werewolf suggests.

              "Do you have wax? No there's no bees." Luci answers his own question. "Or can you make glass? Something water tight to contain it. What about rubber? Are there rubber trees?"

              "Is he actually trying to help them? Because that's what it sounds like." Claire gives the devil a skeptical look.

              "Given the fact that we both dislike leviathan far more than monsters, I'd say he's trying to hurt the leviathan. That it would benefit these men is most likely entirely coincidental." Raphael comments, still holding Alex's hand. "And it probably was getting heavy."

              "Did I ask you?" Claire snaps.

              "He'd know better than I would." Alex points out reasonably. 'How are you and Hel?" She quickly changes the subject. Luci, Claire and Raphael all traveling together, everyone must be on edge by now.

               "Oh, we're alright. Though she had a bit of a moment when  she thought I was turning twenty five as, apparently that's when I stop maturing, and start 'aging'. " Claire makes the little quotes with her fingers. "She's probably going to start bringing up the valkyrie thing again and I really just..." 

                "I know. Geez, it used to be that they didn't consider you over the hill until thirty." Alex rolls her eyes.

                "I know, right? On the plus side, Yuri overheard and stopped referring to me as Bild Lilli. Of course, he's started calling me Geriatric Barbie instead."  This makes Alex start to laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Well, Hel's not amused, of course."

                "The thought of the one you love withering before your eyes is not a comical one." Raphael tightens his grip on Alex's hand.

                "No, it is better than the alternative, though." Alex looks over at him.

                "Alex, I am so sorry..." Raphael starts.

                "Oh, jesus, here we go again." Claire turns and  walks away before the inevitable PDA's start again. Honestly they should be past this mushy stuff by now, right? Alex just ignores her.  "Hey kiddo's. How you holding up?" She asks the children as they keep close together near the middle.

                 "I want my mommy." The little one holds onto his sister.

                 "We're okay." His sister nods solemnly. "Are you really taking us to heaven?"

                 "We're going to try. At the very least we'll get you to a better place than this." Claire reassures them. "Just keep in the middle and we'll protect you , okay?"

                 "Okay."

                 "I wan baby baluga."  the little boy looks to Luci longingly before putting his fingers in his mouth.

                 "Wait until she's done talking, okay? I'm sure she'll play something for you then." Especially since it pisses everyone off such a great deal and draws in people to kill. The devil's a bloodthirsty thing.

                  "You sing." He tugs at her shirt.

                  "Uh, sure." Claire picks him up, "Not Baby Baluga though. Hmm. How about a little Hoku? You know Hoku? no? Hmm/ Well., screw it..." Claire shrugs. "Sun's up, a little after twelve... make breakfast for myself.... save the work for someone else..."

           

                   "Are you sure you can take both of them?" Luci asks as Raphael prepares to take the children's souls into his own body.

                   "Why are you offering to take one?" Raphael asks dryly.

                   "Ick, no." He wrinkles his nose.

                   "Thank you for doing this." Alex gives him a kiss much to Claire's disgust.

                   "I will speak to uncle as soon as I can in regards to the other children. There must be some sort of misunderstanding." He reaches up to run his fingers through her hair. "Alex.. if I can't... if I can't ressurrect you..."

                    "I know. There's not really anything left to ressurrect." Alex takes a breath. "It's okay. Just know that I love you and if I get into heaven, you'd better come visit me."

                    "I love you, too." they're both reluctant to say goodbye, but Claire cleans her throat.

                    "I'll see you soon." Alex goes over to Luci who's writing down instructions for the levi tracking spell in one of the were's blood. "Luci? Can i have a moment?"

                    "What is it?"

                   "In case I don't get brought back. I just wanted to thank you for trying to take care of me after the break up."

                   "Didn't do it for your sake." He brushes off the thanks, not even looking back at her.

                    "I know. But it's still appreciated." Alex rubs the back of her neck uncomfortably. "And... about Michael.. did you think that maybe you're so quick to think he's ashamed of you because you think he should be? Because... you're ashamed of yourself?" 

                    "No," Luci snaps, turning to give her a dark look that makes Alex glad she's already dead.  "I have no need for a therapist, little girl, so..." he pauses at the derisive laugh from his little brother. "So don't even try."

                     "Okay, just, maybe cut Michael a little slack, okay? Try to be a bit more charitable in your interpretations of his behavior." Alex suggests.

                     "We already made up. And you're going to be fine so long as Raphael remembers his damn name. Don't worry, I'll shake some sense into him when we get back." Luci pats her head almost affectionately. "See you soon." He turns back to Benny. "Do you have salt? You'll need salt for the spell."

                     "No, the levi's control the ocean."

                     "Here." Luci takes the salt from her pack. "It's not much but it should be enough to last you until you manage to take a stretch of beach or make a canal or something."

                     "I'd thank you, but... you're the devil." Benny looks down at it. "I can't really say I trust you."

                     "Oh, please, you're dead and in purgatory. What exactly can I do to you?" Luci rolls her eyes and gives an exhasperated sigh. "Use it or not, It doesn't exactly matter so long as you have our back when we're getting the hell out of here. Alright, You all know we're walking into a ambush. Get the heads as far from the bodies as you can." He hefts his axe, and starts walking back towards his brother who's rolling down his sleeves. "Ready?"

                     "Hell yeah, let's go fuck up some Levi's and get the hell home!" Claire raises her sword and turns towards the cliff where the portal shimmers in the sunlight. As expected, as soon as they reach the clearing, bounty hunters and Leviathan swarm in around them. As Luci starts removing limbs, he wishes Michael was here. She'd love this. Fighting together against a formidable enemy again. Slowly but surely they make their way closer to the portal. The borax is just as effective here as on earth and heads fly left and right. Soon Luci ends up back to back with Raphael.

                    "This is alot more fun than our last brotherly bonding experience, isn't it?" Luci gives him a quick glance.

                    "Just so long as it doesn't end the same way." Is the mildly testy reply.

                    "Are you seriously still stuck on that? We're fighting leviathan at each other's side and you're still holding grudges." Luci chides him almost gently.

                    "You stabbed me and left me for dead in a freezing warehouse you then set on fire! Yes, I'm still angry about that!" Raphael takes out his irritation on the monster before him.

                    "I was trying to protect you, you ungrateful brat! Why can't you understand that?"

                    "Because you stabbed me and left me for dead in a freezing warehouse that you set on fire! And what you said to me... what you did...You hurt me worse than anything anyone else could have done. Why don't you understand that?!" Raphael lets himself go. "I don't CARE what you fucking INTENDED!" He strikes a blow with each emphasis. "It doesn't HURT less because you said you MEANT well! Intent is not MAGIC! It doesn't CHANGE reality or MAKE things better. You were WRONG and you you did the wrong THING and it hurt me and DOING it for the right reasons DOESN'T make it OKAY!"

                    "I'm trying, Raphael! You know I am!" Luci quickly turns and beheads a Levi approaching Benny.

                    "That doesn't make it hurt less either! I'm tired of being hurt by you and if you're going to hurt me and not care just because you're trying... why should I want to be around you if you're going to cause me nothing but pain?"

                    "I'm sorry." Luci stops as the last leviathan falls in peices, and turns to his brother, brushing his hair out of his face. "I shouldn't have done what I did. I do care. I'm sorry that I hurt you, for every way I hurt you  and ever have hurt you. I've never been the bother you deserve. Never. I know I don't deserve another chance, especially not from you,  but please don't give up on me."

                    "Hey! Can we get the hell out of here before anyone else shows up?" Claire calls desperately, pointing up to the portal.

                     "Sounds good." Luci follows her up. "Well, fellas it's been fun. " He turns to salute them. "Torture a few leviathan for us, will you?" He waits for Raphael to get closer before stepping into the portal with Claire. Just as Raphael steps up to the portal, more Levi fly down, landing hard, causing the cliff to crumble beneath his feet.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, the timeline is all caught up now so I can devote myself to finishing this. So sorry it took me so long to get back to it. this is the only one I'll be working on from now on.


	27. Home sweet home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael, Dean, and Cas wait together in the woods of Maine for Luci, Claire and Raphael to return. Only two of them do.  
> 

                "So, what, you're going to just stand here and wait for them to show up?" Dean looks at Michael as they stand near the spot in Maine where the portal will return them.

                '"Yes." Is the blunt, matter of fact reply. Michael just stares into space as if seeing something Dean doesn't, Which he probably does.

                "I'm sure they'll be okay." Dean tries to reassure the obviously worried angel. "They're not in there alone at least. They have each...hmm." Dean tightens his lips, interrupting himself as he realizes that saying that either of his siblings would be taken care of by the other two parties is equally problematic. At least they both need Claire to get out and he can trust Raphael to watch out for her at least, as odd a thing as that is now. "They need each other, so they'll keep each other safe." He decides to say as that's probably the most optimistically true things he can say.

                "If they can."  Michael says pessimistically, sounding alot like his little brother. "My brothers are graceless and in a land of abominations. The leviathan will come at them with everything they have as soon as they know they're there."

                "Should you really be referring to Lucifer as your brother, considering?" Dean can't help but ask. Michael raises as eyebrow at him.

                "He identifies as male. Despite his currently female body, he prefers to be viewed that way by us. It doesn't matter, I can respect a person's chosen pronouns."

                "Ah, no, I mean the, um, whole relationship... thing." Dean rubs the back of his neck.

                "Just because we are currently in a sexual romantic relationship does not make him any less my brother." Michael finds it hard to believe he would even have to point that out.

                "Yeah, well, incest isn't exactly something you want to broadcast everywhere."

                "Incest is only an issue for beings who reproduce. Our vessels are not brother and sister or father and daughter or any close relation and as angels the point is moot as we have neither gender nor the ability to fraternize in that particular way in our true forms. Why is this an issue?" Michael frowns at him. "It has nothing to do with you."

                "Yeah, well, given my brother and I are supposed to be your vessels, it kind of squicks me out by proxy, I guess."

                "You have never said yes to me, or any other angel for that matter. I have accepted that you never will, and Sam will never do so again." Michael turns his head back to face the portal. "He is my brother and will be should our affection for each other ever cease to manifest in this form of expression.  If I wish to call him such while we are together, it is of no consequence to you. If I wish to be worried about my brothers and not my brother and lover I will continue to do so. Or would you prefer I just refer to him as my lover?"

               "Oh, dear god, no. Well, you really shouldn't worry too much. if your brothers are good at one thing it's destroying things, so... " Dean tries desperately to change back the subject but just gets another dark look.

                "The two of you don't need to wait with me. I would hardly feel deprived without your company." Michael crosses his arms, finally acknowledging the angel standing beside Dean.

                "My brother is in there as well." Castiel says quietly, earning a particularly terrifying look from his eldest sibling.

                "And our... Claire." Dean adds, just stopping himself from calling her their daughter.

                "I take it that you have no concern for your father then." Michael ignore's Dean, concentrating his firey gaze on Castiel.

                "Lucifer is not my father." Castiel snaps, reflexively. "But, yes, I am mildly concerned for his well being. Not his physical well being, as Lucifer is nothing if not a survivor, but I would prefer him here under your and Gabriel's influence." Castiel confesses, trying not to show how unsettled he feels at Michael's hostility. "Michael... I regret what has passed between us." He forces himself to extend the olive branch, maybe to move beyond this hostile truce back into a sort of brotherhood as he has with Raphael.

                "I'm going to go get some firewood." Dean points back to the woods when Castiel looks to him and gestures to leave them.

                "You are as skilled at apologies as your father." Michael looks back to the portal.

                "You... you are teasing me." Castiel almost asks it. Michael doesn't reply. "I should have tried to speak with you at least. Tried to let you know there was another way. That I didn't... I am sorry."

               "It would only have resulted in your death. I would not have listened to you. I was unable to. I accept your apology and regrets, and hold you no ill will for anything you did to stop me. I am, in truth, grateful that I was not able to do what I believed with all my being that I had to do, but never wanted to."

                "I know you didn't."

                "You didn't then. What's more you thought that I was unaware of the cost, or that I didn't care. That the lives of all those humans that would have perished in our battle meant nothing to me."

                "I did think that,yes." Castiel confessed. "We all did. Nothing was more important to you than our father's will, not them, not us."

                "You know, when he created you, all of you, he said to love you. That's the first thing he ever told me to do each and every time. This is your brother love and protect him, teach him the ways he should go. These are my angels, love them and train them well. This man is my ultimate creation, love him and protect him before all else. I did my best, but I spent so much time and effort in teaching, protecting, training, that it was all I could do. I spent so much time trying to keep Helel obedient, I forgot to just love him, to let him know how much I did. It was the same with Gabriel. Raphael was easy to love, devoted, obedient, almost never any trouble, dependable, but I failed him too. I failed all of you. I should have listened to what Father kept saying over and over again, love them, love them. I should have done more than just tried to keep as many of your alive as I could. And as many of them. But just because  I didn't do it right, didn't mean I didn't care. I did. Always. I couldn't afford to show it. I couldn't afford to let it affect my judgment. I saw what having favorites did, both to those favored and those not. I tried not to, but of course, I did regardless." Michael confesses, though that also was known by pretty much everyone. But like with Lucifer being favored by their father, the only one who didn't know Raphael was the one Michael held the most dear was Raphael himself.

               "Everyone has those they're closer to than others. Those they prefer and work with best. We didn't blame you for that. Raphael had been with you before we even existed, he understood you better than we ever could, we knew that. We understood."

                "Then you understand that while I forgive you for whatever has passed between us. It will be a very long time before I can forgive you for what you did to Raphael, even if he has himself."

                "I do."

                "That said, know that I will never harm you, unless you should attempt to harm those I love again, for any reason. I am angry with you, but you do not need to fear me. I could never raise a hand against my beloved's only child." Michael can't resist the jab. While the teasing is more mean than freindly Castiel has to admit it's better then being murdered. He can live with it. It will eventually drive him insane, but he can live with it. 

               "If I were to ever consider another angel to be my father, it would be you, not him." A distant, rigorously exacting and demanding father, but still. Castiel's confession takes Michael by surprise.

              "Not mother? You all seem to think I'm better suited to feminine desciptors." Michael tries to brush it off.

              "No. I mean in terms of roles, father suits you best. If anyone was a mother to us, it was Raphael. Helel was merely this beautiful unfathomable thing, a dream never to be reached." One soon turned into a nightmare, though he feels no need to remind him of that.

             "And Gabrielle?" Michael can't help but ask.

             "Equal parts playmate and holy terror." The assessment actually makes Michael laugh. "That much has stayed the same. I think we were as relieved as she was when everything was in place to step down. Granted they were the ones demanding she step up in the first place, but they can be so... fickle sometimes. I think they just kept comparing her to you."

             "Her temperament is not suited to long term leadership. Not everyone's is." Michael shrugs. "No one should have to be everything to all people. Let her be who she is. That's more than good enough." Something he should have realized long ago. To let those he loved grow in their own ways and not try and push them into one mold. True, angels are more similar to each other than not, but those differences should have been nurtured and utilized, even those he didn't understand. Helel knew how to use them. Those that left with him did so because they loved him and thought he loved them, because he understood them. Gabriel knew how to enjoy them all and sometimes get them to enjoy each other. They needed each other. But what does Castiel have that he doesn't? That the rest of them don't. What makes him so important or special that their father would continuously ressurrect him, and even make him one of them? That grates on him almost as much as the fact that Castiel once killed Raphael. 

             Why, after so many mistakes and rebellions and disasters, do their younger brothers still love and forgive him and want Castiel back. Why after so much contention and rejection and betrayal between them both does he keep coming back? What is he doing right that so ultimately dwarfs whatever he's done wrong? A small insistant feeling in the back of his mind protests that he already knows. After all, it was Castiel's best man speech that made him first consider becoming human. When it was mentioned how his experiences as human made him a better freind, Michael knew he was right. Castiel knows how to love. It's what made him so beloved before he fell, it's what made him fall, it's what led to every mistake he ever made, doing the wrong things for the right reason. With every fault and flaw he has, he has done and is doing the one thing their father commanded more than anything else, love them. Often at the expense of his own pride, his position, his home and his family and freinds. And in doing so he had been a better son than any of them. It might take longer for Michael to forgive him for that than for anything else.

           "Hey, Michael, want to play a game of risk while we wait?" Dean asks breaking the heavy silence as he brings back a bundle of sticks for the fire.

           "No, thank you."

           "It could be days, weeks even before they come back." The hunter reminds him. "That's a long time to stand and stare at nothing."

           "I know." Michael just crosses his arms and waits. It's only five days, seven hours and fourteen minutes before the portal opens, dumping two people and a few shards of wood onto the forest floor. Dean and Cas quickly embrace Claire as Michael takes hold of his brother.

           "Raphael, what happened? Where's Helel?" He asks as soon as he's sure Raphael is alright, but doesn't feel inclined to let him go. 

           "The side of the cliff collapsed and I fell. He caught my hand and kept me from sliding all the way down, but they were on us. We'd each dropped our weapons, so we just tried to get back to the portal before it closed. He was in front half pulling me back along with him, but then I was shoved ahead into the portal and didn't see what else happened before it closed." Raphael holds onto Michael trying not to be as upset as he is. How could this have happened? How could Helel have been left behind?

            "A leviathan came from the side, near you," Claire speaks up. "He shoved you into me and broke the guitar across it's face to knock it back as it was the only thing he had in hand. But the portal closed before he could make it in. I threw him my sword at the last second." She looks down not entirely sure why she did it or how to feel about any of it. "I don't know if he got it." 

            "Do you have Alex?" Dean asks, unable to care too much about Lucifer being trapped in purgatory. Honestly it seems the perfect place for him.

            "Left arm." Claire gives a weak smile and gets to her feet. "We're taking her to helheim until Raphael can bring her back. I'm surprised Hel's not here with you. She's probably mad."

            "It's alright." Michael sooths his brother, though it's anything but. "We'll get him back. Let's go get you your grace back and discuss your passengers."

            "Passengers?" Dean looks up alarmed.

            "There are children in there." Claire informs him. "It's where all the monsters go, even the little ones." All three, angels and hunter alike, look horrified.

            "We didn't see any when we were there." Dean tries to dismiss the horrible thought.

            "Yeah, well, you two got stuck in the preserves. The kids are brought straight to Eve. There's a lot more to purgatory than you thought."

            "Take Alex to Helheim. We'll meet you there shortly." Michael takes off with Raphael.

            "What the hell were you thinking?" Dean scolds Claire as soon as they're alone.

            "That I couldn't leave my sister in that nightmare of an afterlife. What do you think I was thinking? Are you taking me to Helheim or should I just call my girlfreind for a ride?" She challenges, knowing damn well each of them would do the same damn thing.

           "We'll take you." Castiel reassures her. "We worry, Claire."

            "Yeah, yeah." She gives an exhasperated sigh. "Oh, yeah, Dean, Benny says hi and that he was wondering when you'd get your head out of your ass and figure out you were in love with the damn angel."

             "Was it really that obvious?" Dean asks a bit embarrassed. Claire's look is all the reply he needs. "Alright. Let's go get our girl back." He claps an arm around her shoulder. "Cas?"

 

             "I got it!" Gabriel appears in the abyss next to Michael as he continues to console his brother. She waves a small baggie of a vial of blood, nail clippings, and a still bloody baby tooth. "See, I told you I'd take care of it, Miqa. Raph, you idiot." She gives a sigh of relief at seeing him back safe and sound.

              "Where did you get those?" Raphael looks up as she gives him a hug.

              "Well, I couldn't find anything now so I went back a bit. I got the baby tooth she thought she swallowed by pausing time and snatching it from the apply. The nail clippings are from our sleepover when Claire had their first date. And I went and yanked out a small bit of hair the night she got drunk at the katy perry concert. She didn't notice." Gabriel quickly reassures her siblings as they give her incredulous and irritated looks at this last one. "And I didn't change anything, either. Promise."

              "Very well." Michael says earning a suspicious look from their little sister. Michael never lets something like that go this quickly.

              "Okay, what's going on? What happened? Is Claire alright?" She looiks from Michael to a clearly upset Raphael. "Is it Alex?" Though she can't imagine what could be worse than being eaten  amd cast into purgatory.

               "No." Raphael starts. "Bree.." Fuck he's calling her Bree, this can't be good.

               "Where's Luci?" She asks, suddenly noticing his absence, not that they would have brought him in here. Michael and Raphael are silent. "No." Gabriel takes off to where Lucifer last appeared in the abyss when he died, but he's not there.

               "He's not dead. He's in purgatory." Michael and Raphael catch up.

               "What?" She looks to Raphael. The little shit left him behind? She knew he was angry with his big brother, but to do something like this when the only reason Luci was in there at all was for Raphael's sake, to help get Alex's soul back. "You absolute bastard." She turns to him. Michael steps in between them. 

               "There was trouble getting out. He made sure Raphael got back, but he didn't... It happened in seconds, there was nothing they could do." Michael's surprisingly calm at this. "We'll get him out. I swear it." Michael brings them both in, enveloping them in his wings. Oh, he's in big sister mode. "Even if we have to invade purgatory and get him out ourselves." Nope, he's gone stark raving mad. Thank god Alex is back. Hopefully she'll be up for some more counceling sessions even if she has to stay in heaven. 

               "Raph, if you don't forgive him after this, I'd destroying your room." Gabriel scowls at her brother, who doesn't say anything, 

               "Gabriel." Michael chides her. She just shrugs and mumbles an apology. Though she so fucking will. "Claire left him her blade so he's not defenseless. Go talk to Uncle about this. He likes you best. Raphael if you could talk to Azrael. I'll look up and refine my battle plans so we can invade should they refuse to help. We will get our brother back."

               "Okay." She nods. "Alright. But we need you at full strength for this, Michael. Which means you go to Heaven and recharge. There's only three of us this time." That should give her more time to figure out something else they can do besides a direct assault. "Since there will only be three of us this time and even in the begginning the four of us could just barely hold them off." You absolute suicidal lovesick lunatic, she doesn't finish the thought. So this is where Raphael learned his love equals idiocy bent from. Or maybe it's the other way around. It's almost enough to start wanting to refer to Miqa as her sister.  What's worse is that if she suggested this, Raphael would be quick to point out how crazy it is, instead of just standing there with that sad almost pout on his face.  "You know a full frontal assault  on purgatory with just the three of us is insane, right? 

                "I know, Bree." Michael sighs, worrying his sister even more. "Let's get those children up to heaven with their parents and take care of Alex."

                


	28. Those We Left Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krissy waits for Claire's return  
> Luci has to decide how to spend his time in purgatory.

              Krissy waits silently in the guest room, sympathetically petting the depressed wolf lying beside her. Rhys was absolutely devastated when he overheard Krissy telling his sister what happened. Of course Hel was too upset over Claire going to purgatory to be at all sympathetic. So he just ended up  turning into a wolf and lying on his cushions, not moving, or making more than the occasional whimper until Krissy sat next to him and pet him a bit. More worringly he hasn't eaten anything either. He hasn't really left her side since, or turned back.

             "It'll be okay." She pats his foreleg. "It will. I don't know why Lucifer went with them, but Claire and Raphael will tear that afterlife apart to find Alex, and they'll bring her back and ressurrect her and she'll be fine." Rhys just gives a snort and turns his head away. "Yeah, I know. You know, if you want to talk, I'll listen. I'm having a bit of girl trouble myself honestly." Krissy sighs. Hara's still mad at her. She's always getting angry with Krissy lately and the hunter can't figure out why. That last time wasn't even her fault. Rhys gives her an intrigued look. She ignored him and continues absentmindedly petting behind his ears.

            "So, by girl trouble..." He turns back, resting his head on his hands, grinning suggestively. 

            "I mean trouble with a girl, or an approximate facsimile of one. My angels being tetchy. Are you okay?" She asks, though she knows the answer to that already.

           "Not really." He sighs putting his head down on the bed.

           "I didn't think so. You're wearing shorts." She snaps the elastic waist band. "And not eating everything in sight."

           "I'm not hungry." He shrugs, right before his stomach growls."Or, I wasn't hungry at least." He gives a sigh, but doesn't feel inclined to move. "This is all my fault. I should have been over there the second she tossed him to the curb."

           "Ha, no, actually. You shouldn't have. She'd have just told you to get lost or you'd have gotten eaten too. She's never taking you back, Rhys. She's just not. You fucked up and she's so over you right now that it probably wouldn't have lasted even if you didn't."

           "No, she's just.. he's just her transitional person. She's just with him to get over me." The egotistical brat pouts, though it sounds more as if he's trying to convince himself than anyone else. "She still has feelings for me, that's why she broke up with him when he proposed."

           "Well, maybe but not the way you mean it. You did so much damage with that crap you pulled. What the hell were you thinking?" Krissy shoves his arm."There are people who are into polygamy. If you need more than one woman in a relationship, look in those circles."

           "I don't need more than one. I was just... I was only with Hlokk to prove I could be in a stable committed relationship. You know, like getting a goldfish to prove you can take care of a puppy. She didn't get sick of me and dump me like I thought she would and Alex was just so.. we didn't even sleep together for the longest damn time." He complains incredibly unsympathetically.

           "You are such a brat. And strange, I've never heard of a practice girlfriend."Krissy considers the odd suggestions. "Oh, yeah." She smacks his nose. "Bad wolf. Don't cheat on your girlfriend or you know, lie about not having a girlfriend to your new girlfriend. What the hell did you expect to happen anyways?" 

           "I expected them to find out and Hlokk would dump me but Alex would love me enough to understand and forgive me and stay with me. It didn't work the way I thought."Clearly the god is not a master strategist.

           "Why didn't you just break up with Hlokk when you knew you wanted Alex for your girlfreind?" Krissy protests. He makes a face like she asked him why he didn't just eat his broccoli instead of feeding it to the dog.

           "Because I knew that before I was even with her. Nobody would let me near Alex unless I was a dog."

           "I fail to see how they could have stopped you." Krissy protests.

           "Well, you don't cross Hel when she puts her foot down, and you definitely don't cross dad. Besides, do you know how hard it is to break up with a valkyrie?" Rhys protests. "I wanted to marry Alex. Maybe... maybe try to have a baby, though I haven't had any so far, though It's not like I've been careful." Rhys shrugs with a deceptively casual air. "You really think she'll be alright?"

           "Yes. Archangels are badasses. Almost all angels are badasses except for mine. " Krissy gives a fond smile. "You're an idiot, though. A selfish irresponsible spoiled brat of an idiot. I'd invite you to join the club, but I have a sneaking suspicion you're a founding member."

           "Well, yes. I was mommy's little baby boy. But I'm also cute and fun, in bed and out." He gives her a charming smile. "She never could stay mad at me before."

           "She didn't stay mad. She isn't mad now, she's just... over you, Rhys. Really truly over you. I know it's hard to accept, but it's true."

           "But, I really loved her. That stupid angel... I knew he was trying to steal her. Taking and playing games and bringing presents, food. He was just biding his time and weaseling his way into her good graces until he found the right vessel, the sneaky scheming bastard." Rhys bristles. "And then he can't even take care of her."

           "I dunno. He cooks, he cleans, he heals any and everything. He's invaded purgatory to bring her back from the dead, I'd say that qualifies as taking care of her fairly well." Krissy points out, inducing a petulant scowl in her companion.

           "She shouldn't have died in the first place." He snaps. "Ever since we broke up, she's been in trouble, just over and over again."

           "And you're blaming him? Do I need to remind you about that little car accident that almost killed her?" Krissy argues. "And when Hlokk came to teach her to stay away from you, that was kind of your fault.  Look, you need to just get your shit together that's all and if you want multiple partners, get a partner that's okay with that. Seriously." She nudges him.

           "What's so great about angel's anyway." Rhys ignores her.

           "I dunno, ask your mom." He looks breifly irritated for a second before conceding the point. For all they hate each other, his parents never actually ended their relationship before she got killed. "Not that Bree is a typical angel." Krissy adds.

           "If she was your religion would be alot more interesting. Why are you with your angel anyways?"

           "Woah, it's not like that. Hara's... Hara's Hara. I'm her vessel. It's not.. we're not.. What? God, that's just weird. No." Krissy shakes her head. Rhys' stomach growls again. "Better go take care of that before it starts to bite." She nudges him again.

           "Thank you for not giving me a hard time about this. Well, relatively." Rhys gets up and kisses Krissy's cheek. "Ever want to have a little fun, give me a ring."

           "What the hell?" Krissy hears Claire at the door. "Stay the fuck away from my partner, you horndog."

            "You're back! Did you find her? Is she alright?" 

            "Yes, I'm back, yes, I found her and no Rhys, she is not alright. She is dead and eaten. That's why I went to purgatory to get her." Claire says slowly much to his annoyance. "Now get lost." 

            "You're not going to tell me to stay away from your sister? Where's the angel? Did he die too?" Rhys sounds a bit more enthusiastic about the idea than is appropriate.

            "I wish. No. And they made up and may even be engaged, I'm not sure. I'll tell you what, if they get married I'll take you out and we'll get black out drunk, the night before. Kris, you'll be our designated driver. Now shoo." Claire waves him off, closing the door behind him.

            "I'm not sleeping with Alex's ex. He's upset because she died. He's been a wolf until a few minutes ago."  Krissy informs her. "Where is she anyways?"

            "My arm. I'm not letting her out until the winged war criminal comes back to ressurrect her. I don't want her out of my sight." Claire looks down at her arm, which shows a slight red glow when she lifts her sleeve to check. "And really, don't get involved with that playboy, you don't need to be sucked in by him like Alex was."

            "Claire. He was upset and nobody was taking it seriously."The roll of Claire's eyes shows she isn't either. "He wasn't eating."

            "He wasn't eating?"

            "No. Not since I arrived. Hel was too worried about you. Just because he's a selfish immature idiot doesn't mean he didn't actually have feelings for her, Claire. I.. I'm sorry I chickened out of purgatory." 

            "No, I.. it's fine. I know winter's hard for you. I'm kind of glad you weren't there, honestly." Claire sits down on the messy bed. Krissy gets reckless in the winter, especially when there's snow. In truth, Claire never intended to take her in there with them. If Krissy had seen the children... or even knew about them. She'll have to be sure that Alex doesn't mention them. "You never make your bed." She looks down at it.

             "I've rarely lived in a place that didn't have housekeeping. Hard to pick up the habit, easy to loose it again." Krissy shrugs. "Are you okay?"

             "No. I'm having feelings I don't really understand. Or like." Claire plops back, covering her eyes with her arm.

              "Well, your bi already so... animals? Inanimate objects? Oh please don't tell me it's children."

            "God, no!" Claire gives her a horrified look. "I'm just feeling guilty. that's all. For leaving her behind. Ah, it's so stupid." She gives a frustrated little scream and gets back to her feet, starting to pace.

             "Who Alex?"

             "No, Luce... Lucifer. She got left behind in purgatory."

             "Oh. Could be worse." Krissy shrugs. "It could have been Raphael left behind, then no one could bring Alex back. Not with nothing left behind." Krissy points out as Claire looks unconvinced beforehand.

            "It almost was, and I was... delighted. I didn't stop out of the portal. She did get him back into it in time. I throw her my sword, but... why do I care? She is the literal devil! The devil, Krissy."

            "Well, yeah, but you're not." Krissy points out. Claire just gives her an odd look. "You're kind of a good person. She got left behind doing something good that you weren't going to. You feel don't feel guilty about Lucy being left behind, you feel ashamed because it happened because she did something you felt you should have done." Krssy concludes. "Though personally I think it's the perfect place for him. Keep him out of trouble."

            "Yeah, well, I still feel like shit and she has my sword." Claire plops face first back onto the bed.

            "Oh, gee. That's too bad." Krissy looks to the side.

            "First my car, now my sword? Why do you hate my things?" Claire looks over at her with a scowl. "That sword is awesome it can kill everything. Well, you know, except for archangels."

            "It's not a ranged weapon, Claire. And you refuse to use anything else and get so banged up all the time if I didn't have Hara on call you'd be dead or an invalid by now. You're not immortal, Claire. The swords should be your trumps and not your opening gambit."

             "Yeah, yeah." Claire grumbles. 

             "No, not yeah, yeah. My life depends on you. So do the people the things we hunt are killing or will kill. So, yeah, not too broken up about the sword."

             "I'm good with it." Claire protests.

             "I know." Krissy shakes her head. "Now if you melted it down into bullets..."

             "Don't even fucking think about it." Claire points at her warningly. "It's bad enough you jerked my car, keep you hands off my sword." Krissy holds up her hands and looks away.

            "So, why are you here cockblocking me instead of reuniting with your queen of the dead." Krissy changes the subject.

             "First off, do not hook up with Alex''s Ex. It's against the code." Claire scolds her.

             "The code? You mean the  'bro code'?" Krissy makes quotation marks with her fingers. "We're not bro's, Claire."

             "Fine, the bro code for girls. It still stands, you don't hook up with your freinds ex."

              "Alex isn't my friend. She's your adopted sister. And she dumped him so even if I was interested, I wouldn't be violating the 'bra' code." Krissy makes quotation marks.

              "Just don't okay? And secondly she's mad at me for going to purgatory without telling her first, so I'm kind of getting the silent treatment. Plus I'd feel weird about getting cozy with my posy with my sister in my arm."

              "About what?" Krissy bursts out laughing. 'Cozy with your posy?"

               "Shut up." Claire blushes.

              "Where the hell did that come from?"

              "I don't know, nowhere, never mind. Shut up." Claire grabs the pillow from the bed and tosses it at her partner. It smacks her in the face zipper first making Krissy curse. "Shit, are you okay?" Krissy just takes off the pillow case with sipper and tosses it aside.

             "Of course you know, this means war."

 

              Time slides to a halt as the portal closes before Luci's eyes, a silver blade flashing as it falls at her feet.

              "Well, shit." He stares at the space a moment before picking up the blade and getting to work beheading and dismembering as many leviatan as he can.

              "We need to retreat before more of them get here." The call goes up and they all take off, leaving Luci behind. He sighs and looks down at the broken guitar and shattered case. What the hell was he thinking? He was thinking he didn't want his baby brother to be eaten, but still. It doesn't matter. It's fine. Luci starts walking around picking up heads before they can reunite with their bodies. and tying them together, bundling the short haired ones up in shirts first. "What are you doing? I said to retreat." Benny races back. 

              "Making sure they don't get up and come after us." Luci finds the last head. "Isn't this Alex's brother?" She holds it up.

             "Shit. I saw he wasn't with us but I didn't think..." Benny shakes his head. "Help me find his body."

             "I didn't think you came back for me." Luci looks around and finds him in the bushes at the base of the cliff. "Here he is.Burn him?"

             "No, here." Benny hoists the headless body over his shoulder. "We'll put him back together later. Put his head in your pack and follow me."

             "Okay?" Luci complies and runs after him, just barely keeping up.

             "What are you two doing? Sight seeing?" Ruihi joins them.

             "Ha, ha smartass." Benny snaps. "Luci can't keep up. Take Cory so I can give her a lift."

             "Yeah, naw. Can you ride?' Ruihi turns to Luci who just shrugs and watches a bit amused as the shifter turns into a horse with saddle and stirrups, no bridle or reins.

             "Okay, then." Benny shakes his head and motions for Luci to get on as the devil wipes the shifter gunk from his face. So damn messy. "We'll get you to someplace safer."

             "Is there one?" Luci asks dryly taking hold of the saddle horn.

             "Well, probably not for long. You should try seeking sanctuary with Eve." Benny suggests. "She's at odds with her siblings, you'd probably get along."

              "Well, given I beheaded and froze her mother, I'm pretty sure I won't be welcome with open arms.

              "I can at least give you a head start." Benny says apologetically. "I can't take you back to the compound.  I have my people to think of."

               "Thank you for your honesty." Luci replies, though it's hardly unexpected. So he's stuck in purgatory alone and since Michael hasn't burst in to drag them out, she presumably can't yet. Azrael's being catty so she won't be any help. Not unless he dies again and he's sent back to the abyss. Or not. She might just leave him here. No, better to stay alive until Mitcha can get to him.

              But how? He can't hole up with the rebels, and just staying out in the open anywhere is a bad idea. He's sure as hell done with being hunted. But what exactly can he do. Graceless, souless with only a gregori blade. Nothing for spells. No decent company. Oddly he finds himself really missing Denny again. If only for hte use of her soul. There's plenty he can do with blood and a soul.

              Of course there are certainly plenty of souls here, though they're already claimed. He can't use any without alerting whoever owns them, 'eve' the levi. He can't believe she's calling herself Eve. Sure it's funny, mother of all monsters, but it's still annoying as hell. And he's stuck in this body. Not even a decently attractive one either.

               "That's it." Benny stops as they reach the rest of his men. "Hand me his head, will you?" He reaches a hand up to Luci who just looks at him. "Please?" Luci takes it out and tosses it down to him. "Thank you. Ruihi, take him to that cave, you know the one. It's fairly defensible. Once we get back we'll send someone to check on you, maybe help you put a bit until someone comes for you. Which I'm sure they will." He lies rather blatantly. "We'll give you back the borax and water guns too."

               "I have this. Just give them hell." Luci lifts up the sword. "Here, try to find a place to put there where they won't ooze away." He tosses the chain of head to the rest of the group silently watching them. 

               "So I take it the half turned was a freind of yours." The one that catches it comments. Luci just raises an eyebrow.

               "No. We're not freinds. She's my brother's girlfreind. That's it. As a thank you for looking out for her, I'll let you keep your settlement when I take over Purgatory. "He winks at them. "Later." Luci salutes them and pats Ruihi's flank. "Are we going on do you just feel like pointing me in the right direction?" The horse snorts and shakes his head a bit.

               "Go on," Benny nods to him. "I'll catch you back at the camp." Ruihi takes off in a different direction. The ride is broken up by the occasional attack, but it's fairly uneventful. Is this what it's going to be here? Waiting, fighting, purposeless, endless, pointless.

                "Are you really going to take over purgatory?" Ruihi asks as soon as Luci enters the cave.

                "Sure, why not." He looks around. Fairly shallow good outcropping to hide from projectiles. 

                "Because if you're willing to make freeing the children a goal, I know people who'd be willing to help." Ruihi hints not so subtly.

                "So long as you send them back to Benny and the jets back there, we can do that "Luci stretches out his arms. "Get me spell ingredients and come here. Over here. come one." he beckons Ruihi over. "I need a little soul power." He pricks his finger deeply and holds out his hand. Ruihi just looks at him. "I'll want to conceal this place. I have no soul, I need to use yours." Ruihi just looks at him some more.

                "I'm not sure I can trust you. I mean, you are the devil." He points out. 'Purgatory's not too hot, but I don't exactly feel like a transfer, if you know what I mean."

                "Suit yourself."

                "You're not going to tell me I can trust you?" Ruihi crosses his arms, looking at him suspiciously.

                "No. As you pointed out. I'm the devil. It would be kind of dumb to trust me, to be honest. And I don't care about any of you people. I just want to get out, avoid boredom, and maybe torment the leviathan and mother Eve a bit." Luci shrugs. "However long I'm stuck in here, I'm not going to do it either running or in hiding. Help me or stay out of the way. Understood?"

                "Understood." Luci smiles as Ruihi stops forwards. Take over purgatory, rescue the monster children. Why not? He doesn't have anything else to do. 


	29. No Love Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael gets a case of the nerves  
> Luci finds out something worse about purgatory  
> Alex and Raphael talk and get annoyed by Luci in absentia.

                "It's okay. You got this, Raph." Gabriel says handing Raphael the baggie as Claire waits impatiently for him to restore her sister.

                 “Did you forget your name?” Claire asks, arms crossed. “Your brother said you’d be fine so long as you remembered his name. Whatever that meant.”

                 “Raphael means God heals.” Michael explains. “Raphael, I know your nervous, given how important this is to you, but I faith in you and you’re abilities and what’s more, Helel obviously does as well.” Raphael makes a slight face at this. “If it helps, i could shake you.” Michael teases. Raphael just gives him a look.

                  “What?” Gabriel frowns at the joke.

                  “It’s… something from before you were made.” Raphael explains.

                  “Oh.” Gabriel looks slightly put out as there seems to be no explanation forthcoming.

                   “Can’t say that about many things, huh?” Claire smiles.

                   “Claire, why don’t you let Alex out. So they can talk a little and help him relax a little.” Gabriel asks. Claire looks over breifly at Raphael and Michael who’s speaking to his little brother quietly in enochian, trying to sooth him, though it doesn’t seem to be working.

                  “Fine.” She takes out a knife and cuts her arm, letting Alex’s soul out into the hall where it takes shape into a thin spirit. The benefits of releasing a soul in the afterlife. Alex looks down at her insubstantial form, not saying a word.

                   “Your boyfreind’s got the yips. Excuse me. I’m going to go get some fresh air.” Claire walks out to the main hall before they can start any more displays of affection.

                   “We’ll let you two talk alone.” Michael says, ushering his little sister out of the room.

                   “The yips?” Raphael asks, looking down at the bag in his hands.

                   “It’s a mental hurdle preventing performance in athletes. For some reason things they can do well normally they just can’t seem to. It’s nerves or an issue of focusing on the wrong thing. It’s okay, Raphael.” Alex puts a hand to his cheek. “If you can’t, you can’t.”

                    “I haven’t tried yet. I’m afraid. I shouldn’t be. I’ve done thousands of resurrections. This shouldn’t....”

                    “It’s okay.” Alex embraces him, surprised at the feel of wings encircling her. She can’t see them, but she can feel them. “As long as you’re alright. That’s all that matters.”

                     “Even if that were true. I can’t be alright without you. When I’m with you, I’m.. I’m with a peice of myself I didn’t know I had or needed or wanted. I love you.  I think you’re wonderful intelligent kind compassionate understanding. You fix things I can’t, and what’s more when I’m with you I can… I can be.. I can BE. I can just exist and that’s enough for you. I have never felt enough for anybody before. I have never found anyone to be made so perfect by their very imperfections. Nothing ever felt more right than being with you. And I just…”

                     “Me too, I just…” Alex sighs. “It’s okay. I promise, it’s okay. No matter what.”

                    

   

                    “I’m okay.” Alex opens the door, Claire immediately grabs her and hugs her, holding her tight. “It’s okay. I’ve had worse deaths.” She jokes, forgetting how sharp a reminder that is to her sister. “Right. Sorry.”

                    “No, it’s.. I’m just so glad you’re okay.” Claire doesn’t let go, sniffing back a  tear she didn’t let herself shed before.

                    “So am I, even if you did break Raphael’s heart in such a heartless and cowardly manner.” Michael says, unable to help himself. Raphael shoots him a reproachful look for this.

                    “What? What are you talking about?”

                    “You sent him a text message ending your relationship.” Michael ignores his little brother’s silent pleas not to bring that up.

                    “What? I did not! I was going to ask him to come home and apologize for being so… human I guess. But there was this shifter I think and I stabbed him in the eye and then woke up tied to a chair in a freezing warehouse. A text? How could you think I’d…” Alex starts angrily. “No, fine. It’s fine. I want to go home. I just… can I go home?” She covers her eyes.

                     “I’ll take you home.” Raphael levels Michael a glare and disappears with her. “I’m sorry about that. Michael…” He apologizes, not sure what to say.

                    “No, it’s okay. I’d be pissed if someone broke up with my little brother in a text.  Besides, thinking ‘Alex is more of a heartless bitch than I thought’ is a far more reasonable conclusion to something like that than ‘clearly she has been devoured and replaced by a leviathan’. So, you know..” Alex shrugs, still a little pissed off. “Besides I need to apologize for my… Cody.”

                    “Don’t be. It takes a special kind of stupid to object more to the skin color of my vessel then to the fact I’m not actually human. Clearly he should be pities and under the care of others.  At least Claire has a legitimate justified reason for hating me. Are you alright? Do you feel alright? I know it must have been hard leaving him behind.”

                     “No… no, I don’t.. I don’t want to talk about it.” She buries her face in his neck. ‘I don’t want to talk about them about that. Please.”

                     “Okay.” He just holds her for a while.

                     “Is Luci across the hall?” Alex breaks away, wiping her eyes. “I want to thank her again. And tell her not to knock for a bit.”

                      “No.” Raphael says quietly. ‘Alex, he got left behind making sure I got out.”

                      “Oh. Oh, Raph, are you okay?” She turns back to him.

                      “No. Alex we have to go back for him. My sisters and I are going to be going back to get him. We have to. I…” Raphael stops talking and looks down.

                      “I understand. How are you going to get in? Will any of the other angel’s help? Can… can you three do it by yourselves? When do you have to go?” Alex asks trying to keep her voice calm, but it ends up trembling anyways. They just got back to each other.

                      “We’re not going until Michael’s regained all his strength. He’s going back to heaven to rest and recharge. It’ll be a little while. We’ll have some time together.”

                      “Okay, okay.” She closes her eyes and just concentrates of steadying her breathing. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

                      “No, just… stay safe.”

                      “Courage ran off. Did anyone find him or…” Alex looks up.

                      “The Leviathan ate him.” Raphael informs her quietly.

                     “Oh.” Alex starts to cry despite herself, “Could you… can you…”

                     “There’s no body, no soul either. Even if I could, it wouldn’t be him.” Raphael explains. “You’ve been through alot. You should lie down and rest.”

                      “Will you hold me? Just… hold me?”

                      “Yes.”

                 Luci stares at the broken peices of guitar on the cave floor. There’s no way to put it back together. Maybe he could reuse a few strings but it won’t be the same. It won’t be his father’s guitar.

                 “Was it special?” Ruihi asks lighting the fire. “That guitar?”

                 “It was my father’s.”

                 “The devil has a father? Wow, how bad a parent must he have been.”

                  “My father is God. The creator of everything? I’d be careful what you say about him. Despite our difference I do love him more than anything.” Luci looks him sharply in the eyes.

                   “Okay.” Ruihi hastily averts his eyes. “So… does it have any divine powers or something?”

                   “Yes, by plucking the strings in specific patterns it would produce musical sounds, often in the form of a familiar song.” Luci replies dryly. “It was just a guitar, but it was His.”

                   “God played the guitar.”

                   “Yes. And sang karaoke, became a writer, a fairly bad one. Well, mediocre, really.” Luci shrugs, cracking a smile. “He did have an odd sense of humor at times.”

                   “I assumed so. Look at Australia.” The native kiwi points out.

                   “I should probably apologize for all the spiders. Not that I’d know who to apologize to. Or actually want to.” Luci gives a sigh.

                    “Helel.” Luci  looks slowly up to see Death and his angel standing at the entrance to the cave. Ruihi quickly gets back to his feet.

                    “Who are you?” He demands.

                    “That’s my uncle, Death, and his lackey Azrael.”

                    “Helel ben Sahar, it seems you delight in causing chaos.” Death comments dryly.

                   “Well, I’m just so good at it.” He shrugs.

                   “Hel-what?” Ruihi looks breifly back at Luci who ignores him.

                   “I suppose you want an apology for binding you.” Luci sighs picking up a shard of wood, trying to seem unconcerned and not the least unnerved at their presence.

                   “It is exceedingly unimportant to me that you apologize. No. I am here on behalf of your siblings, and for the sake of my former adjutants. Azrael?” He nods to Billie who crosses her arms breifly before slipping a bag from her shoulder and dropping it in front of them.

                    “What’s this? Are you playing Santa now?” He opens it to reveal a couple wrapped presents.

                   “Of sorts. Gabriel thought I might find your situation amusing. I trust you are well?”

                   “Oh, Peachy.” Luci sighs. “So, Pretty much everything I ever done since Eden has been wrong and I’m really kind of embarrassed about the whole last couple of Days in general, so I guess there’s that.” He shrugs offhandedly. “I won’t do it again.”

                   “Now that is the important thing. Be sure that you do not. Especially not with a spattering of dirty souls you scraped off the bottom of sheol.” Death scolds him.

                   “That I am sorry for. But I was on a deadline and it’s hard to get so many souls together at once and to stay still. It’s like herding cats. Besides which you never know who’s going to suddenly find religion and I did not want to be interrupted.” Luci apologizes. “But I see you’re enjoying your manifestation none the less.”

                    “Yes, it does have it’s charms. A sense of taste for instance.” Death admits.

                    “I don’t suppose either of you would be willing to give me a lift out of here? It would save everybody alot of trouble and you know I don’t belong in here.” Luci gives his uncle a mildly pleading smile.

                    “I’m beginning to understand why your father left. You children never wish to solve your own problems. Always looking to a higher authority to do what you could.” Death chides him.

                    “A simple no would suffice.” Luci rolls his eyes.

                    “Tell me, Helel, You tell me you don’t belong here. Where exactly do you belong? Earth? Heaven? Hell?” Death asks. The question catches Luci of guard, especially as he doesn’t have an answer. In the breif silent pause, Death and Azrael disappear.

                   “Your freind was right. He wasn’t fat.” Ruihi muses. “So, only Death can render you speechless, I see.” In response to the jest, Luci takes hold of him and violently recharges the wards on the cave.

                   “Not in the mood, Kiwi.” He pats the silently cursing shifter’s chest and sits down by the bag. He takes an envelope out of the bag opening it. It has a folded painting with tiny messy hand prints, a lip print, and what looks likes a nose print. ‘To Auntie Luci from Shelly.’ On the bottom left corner with  breif enochian note. ‘We’re coming for you. Stay safe.’ With a signature from his siblings. They know him too well.

                     “You have a kid?” Ruihi obviously can’t read.

                    “A neice. She’s a nephilim. She’ll be a year on valentine’s day.” Luci folds it up and tuck it in his bra for safekeeping.

                     “Speaking of which, how many nephilim did you kill or have killed? Are there any who’d be coming after you? Because I really don’t want to fight a war on three fronts.” Ruihi snaps cautiously.

                      “What? What are you talking about?” Luci looks over at him.

                      “Apparently nephilim count as monsters.”

                      “Excuse me?”

                      “They stay up in the clouds. Except for the ones too young to fly. They’re with Eve, with the other children. They used to try to rescue them, but it never worked. Not for long.

                      “Take me to them.” Luci demands. “Now.” He was going to do this out of boredom but if there’s any chance his little song might ever end up here, it’ll be as the long awaited Queen.

                       “What’s that light?” Alex covers her eyes as a bright blue light shines in the window from outside, waking her. Raphael snaps the curtains shut, but he light starts blinking.  “What…” Alex pushes away and heads to the window, looking out across the street to a large billboard. “Raph?” She looks back at him. He walks over and peers out beside her.

                In bright flashing letters are written I TOLD YOU SO. Each word flashes in turn before the entire phrase flashes. the lights around the edge echo the pattern. There’s enochian script, just inside them. She looks to Raphael who’s making an annoyed little scowl that she usually only sees in regards to Lucifer.  

                “What does it say? The enochian?” She prods. Raphael’s silent a moment before reply.

                “Roughly translated, it says ‘I told you so. I told you so. When are you going to learn I am always right about everything. I fucking told you so.’ “

                “What?” She tries not to laugh at the message. Though it’s fairly clear who it’s from. “What is this about?”

                 “He told me there was something wrong with you. Of course he paired it with accusing you of feeding him human flesh and he was extremely feverish from pnuemonia.  I didn’t believe him. He said when we found out he was not just going to say   he told me so, but scream it to the heavens. When he didn’t I thought he was being kind. Apparently not.”

                  “Oh.” Alex refrains from asking why Luci noticed before Raphael did, it’s probably a sore subject anyway.

                  “I never saw you in person after the breakup until I removed my grace.” Raphael explains. “The apartment was warded…”

                  “Why did you remove your grace? Since it wasn’t just to get me from purgatory.”  Raphael doesn’t reply. “It’s okay, really, you can tell me.”

                   “You… I thought you asked me to. That you needed me to be human at least some of the time for us to be together. And so we could have a baby.” He confesses.

                    “How could you think that I would ever ask that of you?” She demands. “I have never asked you to be anything but what you are.”

                    “I know. But that doesn’t mean you don’t really want someone who can be human with you. Who can eat with you, sleep beside you, grow old with you, have a child with you that you could survive.”

                   “Growing old is overrated. And it’s not important. none of that is important. Do you think I’m settling for you? Raphael.. you’re an angel. A son of god, you are so far out of my league. The last thing I would ever want is to reduce you in any way.”

                    “Why would you think that? Did Lucifer say anything to you?” Raphael demands.

                    “No, he’s been very tolerant, though it’s very clear she thinks I’m beneath you. I mean I am human, she doesn’t think much of us.”

                    “With everything I’ve done, the fact that you can still think I am anything worth esteeming, shows me that I’m not the only one made a complete and utter idiot by love.” Alex punches him in the arm, gently so as not to hurt herself. Raphael laughs and snaps his fingers, shorting out the billboard.

                    “When did she do that, anyways?” Alex looks back at it.

                   “How did he do that is my question.” Raphael closes the curtains again.

                   “Well, I presume she hired someone to put it up. of course that just raises more questions, like where she got the money for a.. ohhh, no…”Alex turns on the light and races to her computer, bringing up the shelter’s bank account. sure enough a few days ago a large sum of money, pretty much wiping out the account went to what is probably a billboard company. “That little shit! She is so fired.”

                     “I’ll go talk to Gabriel about diverting some funds.”

                     “Not yet. The banks won’t open until morning.” Alex sighs closing the laptop, resting her head on it for a second. She’d say she can’t believe it, but she absolutely can. Oh what does it matter anyways. The important thing is that she’s here with Raphael and will be for a while.  “I do want to have a baby with you, though. That scares the hell out of me. and I need to find college first. At least the bachelor degree. I have two more semesters left.”

                      “A child is at least as big a commitment as marriage.”

                      “I know.” She sighs. “I’m so.. afraid of, I don’t know what. I really don’t. I’m just afraid, even though I know I shouldn’t be.”

                      “Do you still love me?”

                      “Yes.”

                      “Then that’s enough, you know I love you and want to marry you and think there should be more of you. So when you decide that you do as well, just let me know and I will move heaven and earth to give it to you.”

                      “Okay.” Alex smiles at him. “Thank you.”

                      “I’m afraid as well. Of loosing you. Again. In any and every way. The way I lost Meli.”

                      “I hope that I am never as big of a vengeful bitch to anyone I ever claimed to love or Meli was to you.” Alex tightens her lips.

                       “Alex, I let her down in a horrible terrible way, that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Meli has a right to hate me. You know she does.”

                       “Meli didn’t even let you know where they were, and you know that they betrayed you, willingly, purposefully, betrayed your trust, and all your siblings as well.”

                       “I’m sure it wasn’t exactly like that.” Raphael insists on defending his former vessel.

                       “Well, on the subject of your ex, lets just agree to disagree.” she kisses his nose. Which of course, will probably have to do. He doesn’t exactly want to talk about Meli anyway.


	30. Christmas Miracles pt 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas at the bunker.  
> Shelly is a spoiled granddaughter.

                    "Remember, Jody doesn't know you died. So, zip it. both of you."Claire greets Alex and Raphael as they arrive at the bunker. "Both of you."

                    "Okay?" Alex looks around for Jody who's in the kitchen area on the phone.

                    "No, I'll be back right after brunch.... no, no one should spend Christmas alone. Don't be silly. We'll go up to see Doug and Donna for some eggnog and pie. Make sure to fill up so you can gracefully bow out of the lutefisk. Bye, Hon... Love you, too." She hangs up, giving the phone a smile.

                    "Love you, too?" Alex sidles up behind her, actually making Jody jump a little. "You're seeing someone. Is it serious? Does Nick know?" She teases. Jody blushes slightly. "It is Nick, isn't it? Ha! Looks like I'll have an I told you so of my own for when Luci gets back." She smiles.

                    "Just don't do the dance." Jody cautions her.

                    "The dance?" Raphael asks.

                    "You haven't gotten the I told you so dance yet?" Jody looks amazed. "Lucky man."

                    "It's nothing." Alex demures. "Just something Claire started."

                    "We got to say it so little. C'mon let's show him." Claire nudges Alex's arm., "I toooold... come one."

                    "Geez okay." She takes position beside Claire. "I to-o-old you so. I to-o-old you so. I to-old... I to-old... I to-o-old you so." the girls do a little complementary dance circling each other.

                    "Second time!. she to-o-old you so (I said so) She to-o-old you so (you know so) She to-old... she to-old she to-o-old you so (so what though?) " Claire sings now with Alex giving back up vocals and brushing lint of her shoulder at the end of the song.

                    "If you do that  when Helel returns I will gladly spend the rest of my existence defending you from his wrath." Raphael swears solemnly.

                    "Yeah, and then spend the rest of your existence regretting it when he co-opts it and starts using it on you." Gabriel comments.

                    "What do you mean you told him so? What did you tell him so?" Jody asks, trying to ignore the display.

                    "Oh, she thought Nick was interested in me, but I told her he only had eyes for you. Why didn't you bring him?" Alex realizes what a dumb question it is as soon as she asks it.

                    "He felt a bit too.. awkward about it given his role in the apocalypse." Jody shakes her head, though really she shouldn't have to explain this. "By the way, young lady, you need to apologize to him."

                    "What did I do?" Alex asks, surprised at the turn of the conversation.

                    "You know damn well what you did and it was utterly uncalled for. What were you thinking saying that to him?" 

                    "I... I'll make sure to..." Alex isn't sure what to say.

                    "It wasn't her." Raphael quickly interjects. "Can I speak to you, sherrif?" He ushers her away.

                    "Oh that little snitch! He is not telling after I specifically said not to." Claire puts her hands on her hips.

                    "You are getting way too bossy, Claire." Alex defends him, "He's not under your command. Even remotely."

                    "Yeah,but still, Jesus." She huffs. "Ah man, now Jody's going to kill me. This is now my last christmas. I hope you two are happy."

                    "She's not going to kill you, she's just going to lecture you about sending at least a text when you go to or return from other plains of existence, that's all." Alex points out. Claire's expression indicates which she thinks in worse.

                    "Claire, one very important thing you need to know about Raphael." Gabriel walks over, putting an arm around her bestie's waist. "Is that he is a great big tattle tale. He always has been and probably always will be."

                   "Mama!" Shelly toddles over from the play mat Gabriel put her down on. "Mama, uh uh." She raises her arms. "Pezza pezza!" 

                  "Not yet,honey."Gabriel picks her up. "Wait until everyone's all together. Uncle Dean's taking care of something at the school real quick. We have to wait for him. "

                 "No." Shelly scowls. "No way. Pezza."

                 "Presents?" Claire guesses? Shelly nods. 

                 "Oh, crap! Raphael!" Alex runs over to him. "We have an emergency. I forgot about christmas." She grabs his arm.

                 "Did you already buy everyone presents?" He asks.

                 "No. I was going to on Black Friday and Cyber monday, but well, I got distracted by your proposal." Alex confesses. "I don't even know if yours arrived at the bookstore yet or if it has whether or not they're still holding them."

                 "Do you have your list?"

                 "It should be in my planner." 

                  "I'll be right back." Raphael gives her a kiss and dissappears. Almost immediately Jody grabs Alex in a hug and just holds onto her without saying a word.

                  "So, yeah, it's been a bad month." Alex says after a moment.

                  "Just as long as you're okay. You are okay now, right?" Jody takes hold of her face looking her over.  "And I was going to ask you what you did to make your skin look so good."

                  "Yeah, apparently he decided to give her an upgrade when he brought her back." Claire comments sipping a beer.

                  "I did no such thing." Raphael protests returning with several presents in his arms. "I simply saw no need to replicate the sun damage in her tissues. It's a matter of longevity not aesthetics." He carries them over to the christmas tree and places the gifts underneath, though he has to undo the baby fence around it to fit them.

                  "I need to talk to you, young lady." Jody beckons Claire over.

                  "Oh, great." Claire wrinkles her nose and goes over to her. "Look, I know I didn't tell you, but it happened really fast and there wasn't time. I thought Krissy would have, but..."

                  "Bree!" Alex walks quickly over to her freind as she tosses Shelly up in the air. This distracts the angel enough to avert her eyes and miss the falling child. Raphael dives over, grabbing his laughing neice before she hits the floor. "Oh crap. I'm sorry." But Raphael is already yelling at his little sister in enochian. Gabriel sighs and responds in protest. Shelly just starts playing with Raphael's sleeves and pulls off a cufflink. Gabriel quickly grabs it form her before she can put it in her mouth, starting the argument all over again.

                   "Pasehs!" They stop when Michael appears, snapping at them. It's always amazing how quickly it stops the argument. Maybe Momma Miqa is more accurate than they thought. 

                   "Mia!" Shelly crows, holding her arms out for him. 

                   "Hello, Shelly." Michael smiles at her and takes her from Raphael as she starts squiriming and kicking towards him. "Merry Christmas." He kisses her nose. "Did you really have to remove your grace now, Gabriel?" Michael chides her.

                    "I didn't HAVE to. Don't tell me you're all charged up already." She sighs. "I had hoped for a little longer before our little kamikaze flight."

                    "No. I'm here for the holiday. It'll be just a little while longer, though. I should be ready by january." He hands Shelly the candy cane she's reaching for, removing the plastic for her.

                    "Bree? I need to talk to you? About a problem with the shelter's account?" Alex  asks quietly.

                    "Oh right, yeah, you and Raph wanted to talk about that yesterday but I was busy. What's up?"

                    "Luci spent all the shelter's money on a big bright billboard outside our bedroom window saying 'I told you so' in several languages.  So if you could transfer enough to cover the shortfall, before the usual deposit,  I'd appreciate it."

                    "Of course." Gabriel nods then snickers into her hand.

                    "It was kind of funny." Alex confesses. "Not the embezzelment, but you know."

                    "Do you have a picture?"

                    "No." Alex says regretfully. Right then, Shelly gives a shriek and the candy cane flies across the room..

                    "Wa lelel! Wa da!"  She shakes her little fists. Michael and Raphael just look at each other for a moment.

                    "Helel's on a trip." Gabriel hesitantly explains. "He'll be back later. I promise." Shelly gives her mother a heartbreaking pout. "Sorry kiddo, you'll just have to wait."

                    "No!"

                    "Afraid so."

                    "No!" She shreiks. "Nonononononononono!"

                    "Her new favorite word, I see." Raphael comments dryly.

                    "Yeah it's pretty much half of what she says now." Gabriel sighs. "Where's Sam? Daddy's better at getting her out of this than I am. Sampai, we've got another case of the no's." She heads off down the hall to find him.

                    "She's tires. I could just make her fall asleep." Raphael offers. Michael shakes his head.

                   "NOOOOOO!" The trailed off shreik makes every human ear in the room hurt. 

                    "I want Helel, too." He says softly. "But he's not available right now, even if we scream and cry and hit everything. I'm sorry."

                    "No Lelel?"

                    "No Helel. Not now." This elicits a sad pout from her.

                    "Da?" She looks over at Raphael, changing the focus to an arguably worse subject.

                   "No dog. The dog is..." Raphael doesn't exactly know what to say. How do you explain death to a toddler not quite a year old. He's not going to lie but what can he say that she'd understand even slightly.

                   "All gone." Ales quickly says. "No more dog. The dog's all gone."

                    "Da a ga?" She looks so distressed, Alex regrets not just trying to distract her instead. Alex just nods as the pout reappears.

                     "All gone." Unfortunately instead of a tantrum. this just makes her start to cry, putting her little hands over her eyes.

                     "Geez, I wish she wasn't so precocious." Alex covers her face, trying not to cry herself. Or that Raphael wasn't so firm about the honesty to children thing.

                     "Dada." She reaches for Sam as soon as he gets there. "Dada wa da.."

                     "I know sweetie." He sooths her, shushing her as he walks her around the room, holding her to his chest. But it doesn't seem to work. She just keeps crying. 

                     "If we were ever lacking a reason to fuck up the leviathan." Gabriel's lips tighten.

                     "Gee, thanks." Alex says dryly, not a little put out at the comment. Gabriel gives her a sheepish grin.

                     "Lolo... lolo da a ga.." Is the last whimper they hear before she falls asleep sucking her thumb.

                     "Did she just complain to our father?" Michael looks  a bit astonished.

                     "Yep." Gabriel sighs. 

                     "Good luck with that." Raphael rolls his eyes, sound rather bitter at the thought. It's been a long time since their father had answered prayers, even for his children. He didn't even show up at Gabriel's wedding. 

                     "You used to call him lolo." Michael looks to his little brother.

                     "What are you talking about?"

                    "Elo was one of the few things you couldn't say right. And you only did when you were really upset. Sometimes I got too wrapped up in correcting Helel to comfort you the way I should have. And you'd call him and he'd come and take you away until you calmed down."

                    "Correcting?" Alex prods recognizing the evasion.

                    "Fighting with. He'd do something unkind and uncalled for to Raphael and I'd loose my temper." Michael confesses with a sigh. "It was easier to put up with him being a  brat to me, then to our younger siblings.  It got better when our sister was made." Michael looks to Gabriel. "Helel and Raphael never had to be all alone anymore and were able to stay out of each other's way more. "

                     "That is true." Raphael admits. "You were a nuisance, but rarely mean." He looks over to the xmas tree as something changes and walks over to a large newly appeared box with a tag on the bow saying 'To Raphael and Alex from Lolo'. "You must be joking." He quickly opens it and lifts the lid to reveal a six month old puppy curled up in the bottom asleep. "Courage?" The puppy lifts his head, parking up his ears and scrambles out of the box to start excitingly licking Raphael's astonished face.

                    "Did... did God ressurrect our dog because Shelly cried?" Alex widens her eyes and stares.

                     "So it seems." Michael sighs, shaking his head. "What kind of dog is that, Gabriel? I thought he was a wolf but it should be bigger by now."

                      "Half wolf, half swedish valhund. So basically a tiny wolf." Gabriel smiles. "He won't get that much bigger. I figured, you know, for an apartment, next to a dog park." She shrugs. "Oh for the love of all that is, Raph. Did you just call your self daddy? To the dog?" She comments on her brother's murmered enochian. Raphael just ignores her and cuddles his ressurrected dog.

                       "Leave your brother alone." Michael orders her. Alex gives him a minute with the puppy before going over and stealing the attention.

                       "It's really Courage?" She asks not sure how'd she feel about him being replaced like a dead goldfish."

                       "Genetically, it seems to be." Raphael examines the animal.

                       "DA!" They hear Shelly shreik and Courage takes off running, hiding in the mass of presents.

                      "Yep, that's our baby." Alex smiles. "Does your dad still like burnt offerings or do you think he'd just prefer a heartfelt thank you?" Of course the question just makes Raphael laugh.

                      "Really? You think that's funny?" Gabriel raises an eyebrow, taking her from Sam and placing her on the floor to chase after the fleeing puppy who hides under the christmas tree. "That was a short nap."

                      "She just woke up, like she was injected with caffeine. Please tell me her grandfather did not just ressurrect a dead leviathan eaten dog because she cried." Sam rubs the bridge of his nose.

                      "Yep. Our little shelly girl's going to be spoiled rotten." Gabriel bends over. "Aren't you, kiddo?"

                     "Yeah!" Shelly beams and tries to climb over the presents.

                     "Did you say thank you, to lolo?"

                      "Danu Lolo!" Shelly crows and falls over a large box. "Oof." Raphael quickly rescues the cornered dog.

                      "Do you remember what I said, Michelle? Shhh." He puts a finger to his lips.

                       "Tsss." She copies him, sitting under the tree surrounded by presents. Raphael hands Courage to Alex and takes out his camera for a quick pictures.

                       "Take this one." Gabriel picks up her daughter and walks up the stairway to hold her out over the top of the tree in her little white dress that's oddly enough staying white. 

                       "Have you lost your mind! Get down from there!" Raphael snaps his fingers returning them to their previous positions. "You almost  dropped her once. Don't think I won't take her away from you."

                       "You can't take my baby just because you disagree with my parenting style, Raphael."

                       "No, but he can call CPS." They hear as Dean walks down the stairwell brushing snow off his jacket. "I see the traditional holiday family arguments have started without me."

                       "I would not call CPS. The foster system is no place for a nephilim, but do not test me on this." Raphael doesn't take the hint to stop the argument.

                       "Raphael." Michael gives a sigh, covering his eyes. "No matter the circumstances you cannot take Gabriel's child away from her and Sam." 

                       "That's right. If you want a baby that bad, make your own." Gabriel adds much to Michael's irritation.

                       "No! No." Dean hastily points to the two quarreling siblings. " No. Do not listen to her."

                       "Do I ever listen to her?" Is Raphael's dry response.

                       "Never mind all that. Time for presents!" Gabriel picks Shelly back up, and hands her to Sam. "For you, darling." She puts a bow on Shelly's head.

                        "Just what I always wanted." Sam smiles, kissing his daughters head as she squirms to try and get to the dog in Alex's arms.

                        "I think maybe we just need to rip the off the bandaid for Courage when it comes to Shelly, Raph." Alex puts Courage down on the floor. "Courage, sit. Stay." She orders kneeling down next to him.  Courage gives a slight whine and turns a pleading face to Raphael.

                        "Very well. Now, Shelly, be quiet and gentle. Courage, stay." He sits down beside the dog, gently stroking his back to reassure him. Sam puts his eager daughter down by him and stays near as she squeals and grabs the puppy in a tight hug.

                        "It's alright, Courage." Alex reassures him.

                        "Pet him gently. Gently." Sam moves her hand gently over his coat.

                        "Da!" After a minute Courage relaxes and licks her face making her squeal with laughter. Raphael quickly covers Courages ears.

                        "So are we doing presents yet or what?" Dean sits.  

                        "Yeah, I have to get to Helheim after this." Claire sits down. "So who's playing Santa?"

                        "Where is Cas anyway?" Sam asks.

                        "Oh, right. He went to pick up Krissy. He'll be here in a second."

                        "What.. are she and Hara still fighting?" Alex asks. Claire shrugs. "Black Friday wasn't that bad, was it?"

                        "I didn't think so but I don't really remember it that well."  She shrugs. "Hara's just been moody lately. I have no idea why."

                        "Merry Christmas." Castiel appears, his arms full of gifts. "Krissy declined to attend but she sent gifts."

                        "Is she okay?" Dean asks looking concerned.

                        "She says she's fine and that she has plans, though that could be a lie." Castiel puts the presents down. "I attempted to persuade her but I was less than effective."

                        "Let me give her a call while you start passing out presents, see if I can talk some sense into her." Claire gets up agains taking out her phone. Dean and Michael go to the tree and start passing out presents to everyone.

                        "No, no. Those four have to be opened at the same time." Dean hastily stops Michael from handing over the small box to Raphael. "Next round."

                        "Very well." Michael nods and hands Claire Sam, Jody and Gabriel long light cylanders.  Shelly gets a big box. Courage gets a rawhide bown with rice paper bow, and Dean and Cas get an envelope. Michael also gets a large cylander.

                         "Okay. She's a no go. I'll drop off the gifts with her later." Claire sighs coming back and looks at her gift. No. Thanks." She tosses it back under the tree. Michael gives her a reproachful look that she ignores and returns to his seat.

                          "So, Raphi's gifts first, huh?" Gabriel helps Shelly open her present. It's a large stuffed wolf plushie as big as she is in a sort of plastic kennel. "Oh look at this. You have your own dog." She takes it out. Shelly looks at it blankly then crawls into the now empty kennel. "Seriously?"

                          "Boo!" Shelly peeks her head out and giggles before ducking back in. Courage picks up his bone and walks in after her, curling up in a corner gnawing on it. "Da. Say."She points to him, commanding him to stay, and plops down on him like he's a bean bag, and after putting her arms around his neck, promptly falls back to sleep. 


	31. Christmas Miracles Pt. 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gift giving  
> Luci's meeting  
> Krissy's christmas.

             "Oh, this is going right in our room." Gabriel smiles unrolling her poster. It's a composite of the best photographs of her Sam and Shelly, put together in a large poster. "Sam, wat's yours?"

             "Oh, just you know, a picture of you." Sam quickly rolls it back up before she can see.

             "It's actually been a best seller from the site since I put it up. I'm splitting the proceeds between the shelter and Krissy, since it is her picture." He informs Sam.

             "What? What are you..." Gabriel grabs the poster. "No!" She exclaims. "Like this? You put it out for sale looking like this? What the hell were you thinking?" Probably the first time the exclamation has been uttered by Gabriel to Raphael.

             "I'm glad to see you do have some sense of shame after all." Raphael puts an arm around Alex.

            "Not that! The head! I am holding Coacoa's dead severed head in my teeth!" she points out as if he was not completely aware of that. He considers it the best thing about that particular picture. 

           "And his raw heart in your hand." He reminds her.

           "What if Xolly sees this?" Gabriel ignores the comment. "Yeah, he forgave me for killing his brother, giving the circumstances. But what the hell? You'd better change this to someone else's head right the fuck now. I mean it!" She seethes.

          "Is... is that what's in mine?" Claire peeks over at it.

          "Yes." Raphael picks up the discarded gift and offers it again. Claire looks at it a bit conflicted.

          "Accepting this doesn't change anything about anything." She takes it, pointing it at him.

           "I don't expect it to. I simply thought you would like it."

          "Yeah, whatever." She takes out the poster. Raphael shoots Michael a look as he seems about to say something to Claire about her behavior. "Oh yes! this is going on the bedroom wall. Don't you dare change this one."

          "I can't believe you did this. I know Xolotl's your... ex-in-law but still, it's not his fault Meli's a traitorous bitch." Gabriel seethes.

          "Babe, language?" Sam chides her nodding to the sleeping baby.  

          "It's English, honey, why do you ask?" She responds with an innocent dimpled smile. Sam is not amused.

          "Ex-in-law." Claire laughs as Jody opens hers.

          "Oh Raphael, this is beautiful." She turns the poster around to show a picture of her, Alex and Cl.aire roasting marshmallows over a bonfire, laughing at something.

          "You weren't even there for that. How did you get a picture?" Claire comments.

          "I went back and froze the moment to get the shot. Alex told me it was one of your favorite things, the bonfire. She retold the joke to me so I thought that would be the right moment to try and capture." He explains.

          "Yeah, cause that's not a creepy invasion of privacy at all. Oh shit!" Claire glances at her phone. "Is that seriously the time? I have to get to Helheim. Boda's making a christmas dinner for me."

          "Already?" Dean protests. "I just got here."

         "Sorry, but if you hadn't spent hours dicking around at the school." She kisses his cheek, then Cas'. "I'll be back with Hel afterwards. I promise."

         "I'll drop you off. I have a few gifts for her anyways." Gabriel stands up.

         "Thanks. I'll be back."

          "Boda?" Dean frowns when they leave.

         "Angraboda. Hel and Rhys' mother. Well her soul anyways. We invited her to come with her children, but she didn't care to leave Helheim." Sam informs him.

         "Oh. Your ex-in-law." Dean grins. Sam sighs and rolls her eyes. "Alright. So what did I get? Gift card?" He opens his envelope and takes out a card. His cheeks turn red when he reads it and looks over to Castiel, a bit dismayed. "The fuck, Cas?" He demands. Castiel looks at the car.

         "I just had some questions on the potential long term effects of.."Dean quickly covers Castiel's mouth. "We'll discuss this later." Dean quickly says. "And, um, thanks, Raph." he mutters.

         "What did you give him?" Alex asks quietly. Before he can answer, Sam darts up to snatch the card.

         "Hey!" Dean chases after himi as he reads it and starts laughing. "Oh you're one to talk, you little brat. Give it back."

         "I'll tell you later." Raphael promises. "And the books you ordered did arrive a couple weeks ago. They called when you were out and got Helel so he picked them up and put them away for safe keeping."

          "And she didn't tell me?"

          "No. Most likely waiting for you to ask about them." Of course. "They're in an angel warded box that I'll need you to open."

         "Okay. well, go get it, I want to give them to you." She nudges him. He disappears coming back with a plastic tote marked up with magic marker, wrapped in a sheet so he can carry it. "Seriously?" She takes the top off to reveal not only the alton brown good eats cook book box set she got for Raphael but other gifts as well. All books. the two art books are obviously for Michael. A large book on molecular gastronomy for Raphael the upstaging brat. A few books on nontraditional management styles and the art of diplomacy for Gabriel which she surprisingly appreciates when she comes back. One is already wrapped for Alex and another wrapped one for Sam.

          Next is every single doctor suess book for Shelly. Which is good because she had already destroyed most of the ones they got when she was born. They've been accidentally ripped apart, chewed on, dropped in things, had things dropped on them, drawn on, painted on, baked in a pie and served to uncle Dean (thanks to her sneaky attempt at helping  daddy cook) Sam had ended up asking his daughters angelic relations to stop fixing them so she would learn consequences. Something he will now have to take up with her grandfather that he absolutely does not know how to do. All the pages are laminated though so this should survive almost everything.

           Last but not least is a small paperback at the bottom titles 'Prodigal Father, Wayward Son' that Alex isn't sure is meant to be a gift until Raphael looks inside at the enochian inscription on the cover and hands it to Castiel with  an exhasperated expression. From the look on the youngest archangels face it's only the stern steady gaze from Michael that keeps the book from being instantly destroyed without mercy.  Sam and Alex both look at their presents warily, not entirely sure what to expect or why theirs are the only ones wrapped.

          "They're just books. Ordinary paper and ink." Raphael reassures them. Alex opens hers. Solomon the lover and the song of songs: An indepths analysis of the Song of Solomon. "Why is he giving you this?" Raphael sounds as embarrassed as Alex looks, making her remember she never told him about the work she had done on the vents in the apartment or why.

          "Um, I'll explain later." Alex puts the book away.

          "Very well." He says warily.

          "You don't have to accept it, Sam." Gabriel kisses his cheek as he stares at the large book in his lap. "You know that. He damn well knows that. Nobody thinks you do." She gives Michael a pointed look. Sam starts to put it back in the tote but puts it to the side unopened instead.

           "He just wants to be able to see his neice." Raphael comments. Michael and Gabriel can't disagree. "That is the only reason he would buy you a gift. He's given up on hurting you or doing any sort of harm to you for Gabriel and Shelly's sakes, but I don't know what kind of book could possibly help with that. Or that he thinks could build any measure of good will at all." Raphael shakes his head. Of course, this peaks Sam's curiosity and he pick it back up again, opening it. It's a large binder filled with laminated, hole protected pages. Enochian on one side and english translation on the opposite facing side. There are maps, item descriptions, sketches, not half as good as Michaels, but good enough. It's practically a catalogue. The words Volume One are on the spine.

            "You've got to be kidding me." Gabriel snatches it from him. "This is a list of secret stashes and storage spaces. Spells., and magical artifacts and a detailed list of the traps and protections on each one."

             "Think he's hoping you'd kill yourself going after them?" Dean asks, skeptically, flipping the pages of the manual. He already has one but maybe he can teach Shelly a few things from this one. "Oh, no way." He stops and looks at the notes in the margins. hints of how to improve performance and fuel efficiency from one of the engineers.

             "He knows I would bring Sam back if only to spite him, so I doubt that." Raphael comments. "No, this is pure bribery and ingratiation. Nothing more, nothing less."

             "True. I think Shelly's the only reason he'd care at all." Alex agrees. 

             "Good to know." Sam puts the book down. "Not that it makes a difference one way or another."

             "Maybe it should." Gabriel says quietly. "A little, maybe."

             "I'm going to go baste the turkey." Sam gets up and walks over to the kitchen. 

             "You know damn well there's no way Lucifer can ever make up for everything he's done to Sam. Why would you even suggest that?" Dean snaps at his sister in law.

             "That is not what I said. Just drop it, okay?" She snaps right back.

             "Dean." Cas takes his hand.

              "Fine." Dean shrugs. "Speaking of the devil, did you include my gift in your little care package to purgatory?"

              "Yeah, what was it?"

             "Oh, you'll see. Alright, time for my gifts." Dean starts getting the boxes together handing them out as Michael just looks at the books in his hands. 

 

              "What in the name of all that is,  is this supposed to be?" Luci looks at the ring. Or more specifically, the blue sapphire with three wavy lines etched onto the bottom set in a gold ring they used to use as a symbol for water. Obviously it's symbolic of something but he can't for the life of him figure out what or why Dean Winchester would give it to him.

               "No way!" A strange person snatches it from his hands. "This is Gi's ring!"

               "You have five seconds to give me back my ring before I remove your head." Luci draws the being's attention back to the blade at her neck. The young nephilim sheepishly hands it back.

               "You like the planeteers?" He asks, a little nervously.

               "I have no idea what you're talking about." Luci removes his blade from the boys neck. "It's a gift from my brother in law. I don't understand why he gave it to me, except possibly because of my affinity with water and the fact that he's an idiot." He puts it on anyways. It is a hopeful gesture.  Dean Winchester is the least likely to ever forgive him for anything he's done to Sam of anyone. If he's making this gesture, it's pretty damn significant, no matter how absolutely absurd and moronic a gesture it is. 

               "It's from Captain planet and the Planeteers five people, three boys two girls, given the powers of nature, fire earth wind water and heart, to protect earth from the ravages of greed pollution, deforestations, etc. It was my favorite tv show." The nephilim points out. "What are you?" she asks. Luci can only imagine what the creature is seeing. An archangel without it's grace, wings, anything. No soul. Nothing but an empty shell. What do they see when they look at him now? He's afraid to find out, even if he could. It can't be much, and certainly nothing good.

              "My name is Helel ben Sahar, more commonly known as Lucifer. Now I just go by Luci." He looks at the flat  mountain top surrounding them. "And you are?"

              "Sarabi." She steps back. Several nephalim light down on the ledge beside her, sheilding her.

              "What do you want, deceiver?" The larger one, a sumerian man, pushes Sarabi behind him.

               "Well, I was hoping you might be willing to help me take over purgatory on behalf of my neice, a nephilim like yourself, except for being the child of an archangel. I was told you have some children in Eve's palace. Thought maybe you might like some of them back?" Luci puts the sword away and spreads his hands. "Or, you know, all of them. Maybe enough to help me liberate them."

               "As much as we hate Eve, we have no desire to hand our children over to the devil. This is not your domain." He states firmly.

               "No, but it could be yours. Provided that when and if Michelle Cadence Singer arrives here. She is made your rightful queen."

                "No."

                "Alright. Well, when I take over, I'll let you know so you can come get the kiddies." Luci looks over the ring again. Silver would really look so much better than gold with this but well, a gift is a gift. "If you change your mind, look for the trail of headless bodies, Ruihi?" He looks over and gets on the giant eagle as he comes near.

                "That's it?" The sumerian looks confused. "No threats, no bribes?"

                "No, I kind of have a lot to do before my siblings come for me. I'd like to at least secure Eve's palace before then. Good luck. Enjoy your clouds." He salutes them. "Let's go." Luci pats the eagles back and holds on as Ruihi dives off the side of the mountain.

                "That wasn't really much of a meeting." Ruihi comments, after changing back at the cave.

                  "It's a start. They didn't declare war or anything." Luci stretches. "They'll think it over, come around. They'll try to screw me over at the end, but that's only to be expected. How many little monsters do we have to work with right now?"

                  "Fourteen including me."

                   "So that's fifteen, including me. Alright. We need to dig a pit to keep the heads in. Not to bury them, but to store them until we've taken the palace. I was thinking in the  back of the cave." 

                   "You think we can take Eve and her palace with just fifteen people?"

                   "Of course." Luci looks out at the smattering of monsters by the cave, training. "It's all about tactics. I'll need to speak to each of you in turn. Send someone in to the cave and have someone get me some birch bark."

                    "You got it, boss."

 

                    "Are you sure there's no where you'd rather be today?" Rhys rests his chin on the small of Krissy's back as she lays exhausted on the cheap hotel bed.

                    "No. I don't feel up to anything else. Maybe when she's walking unassisted." Krissy comments, grateful when she doesn't have to explain. She hasn't been back to  Conrad springs or even really talked to Aiden or Josephine since breaking down in the wedding. She doesn't think she can handle baby's first christmas either so joining Claire at the winchesters out. She doesn't even know what's going on with Harahel. Just that she doesn't want to be alone right now, or talk about anything or be bossed around by a well meaning control freak preppy partner. "You?"

                    "No. Hel and Yuri are all stupidly happy. And no food is good enough to put up with mother asking me when I'm going to settle down and giver her some grandchildren as she's finally given up on the other two."

                    "Understood. Did you get the results back yet or too soon?" She looks back at him. He's silent for a moment. "Sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."

                    "No, it's fine. And yeah, money gets stuff done very quickly. I definitely don't want to have that conversation with my family, either." He heaves a heavy sigh.

                    "I'm sorry." Krissy turns over and ruffles his hair gently.

                     "I honestly kind of suspected. For a long time. A very, very long time." He says quietly. "I kind of always knew i wasn't a real man."

                     "You can't go by fertility, Rhys. I know plenty of men who have tons of children that are sorrier excuses for men then you are." this gets her a wry grin from the wolf god.

                     "Thanks."

                      "Come on, you know you're just a big old naughty puppy. I'm not exactly much of a woman myself, you know. I'm enough to try the patience of the sweetest angels apparently." Krissy scowls.

                     "There's nothing wrong with having some fun. We don't have... well, what does it matter? There are plenty of mature responsible people in the world already." Rhys scoots up to nuzzle her nose. "I wouldn't have been a good father anyways. And you can be a mother again one day. Not that I'm saying.. you know what I mean, right?"

                      "Yeah," Krissy sighs. "You hungry?"

                      "Is that a trick question?"

                      "Maybe."

                       "Do you think we should go out or order in?" 

                      "Order in. If we go out someone might see us." She stretches. "Anyways you're paying so you get to decide what we eat." Krissy leans over and grabs the take out menus from the desk for him. "I'm going to take a shower."

                      "And I will order and pay for the food." He sits up starting to leaf through them. Spicy or no?"

                      "That depends on what we plan to do or have done by the mouths in this room afterwards." She winks at him grabbing a robe.

                      "Point taken. No buffalo wings, then." the phone starts to rings playing yakkity sax heralding the name Naggy McBossypants. "No, I'm not coming to Christmas dinner, Hel," He starts upon answering, "I don't care how much mom com.. Wait... ah, breiddjame! Claire! Why are you Naggy McBossypants?" He takes a closer look at the phone. "This isn't my phone. What? No!.... She probably has my phone then, try calling that.  Is Everything okay? No, no just... the usual. Being naked, eating, hot sex with buxome athletic women... you did ask. No... bye." He hangs up and starts searching for his phone. "Krissy! We have a problem." He quickly takes the battery out before it can ring.

 

                     "We're good. She bought it." Krissy comes back out of the bathroom, turning the phone back off. "Did you have to tell her I put her as Naggy McBossy pants? Why were you answering my phone anyways?"

                     "I thought it was mine. That's the same ring tone and name I have for Hela."

                     "I know, I saw it on yours and thought it was appropriate for Claire. But yours is an iphone and mine is a crappy throw away. I didn't think I actually screwed your brains out." she raps her knuckles on his head.

                      "You're not going to tell Alex or Claire about this, right?" He asks again.

                      "Hell, no. And if you do I'm telling them about that thing you did to Yuri that you told me about."

                      "Don't worry. It's our secret. Don't tell your angel either."

                      "No fear of that she'd have to start talking to me again first." Krissy snorts.

                      "I thought you two were like besties or something." He takes out his credit card.

                      "Me, too." Krissy sighs. "But I just... I don't know. She won't talk to me, and I don't know why."

                      "Well, summon her then. Make her talk to you."

                     "I'm not doing that to her!" Krissy exclaims. "She's been pushed around and treated like she doesn't matter or even doesn't exist her whole life and I won't just force her to do what I want. Even just to come talk to me. That's not what freinds do." She plops down on the bed next to him as he punches the numbers in. "Ordering on line?"

                      "It's easier. People have a hard time understanding my accent over the phone."

                       "But your accent is so sexy." she bops his nose. 

                       "Yes, but I don't care if they find me sexy if they get my order wrong."

                       "Like you care if they get your order wrong so long as it's edible and in large quantities."

                      "It's frequently the quantities they get wrong." he explains. "Alright. I'm getting... pizza, chinese, honey bbq wings, shrimp scampi, burgers and... maybe some mild indian food."

                      "Mango Lassi and Gulab Jamun?"

                      "Of course, and chocolate cake, rice pudding, cannoli, cinnabites, carrot cake, cheese cake. Should I order extra fortune cookies too?"

                      "Hell yes!" Krissy smacks his butt as he reaches for his card. "Tis the season for over eating."

                      "I thought that was thanksgiving."

                      "That's winter, Rhys. Get extra Gulab Jamun because I am not sharing."


	32. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael is physically and emotionally exhausted by multiple failed attempts at invading purgatory.  
> Michael speaks with Harahel.  
> The angels in heaven try to talk some sense into Michael.  
> They fail spectacularly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so now that I have a decent keyboard to type on instead of my cell phone I have to contend with my terrible horrible hand writing. I write very fast so stuff gets garbled and occaisionally while typing it up I type up complete nonsense and don't realize it until later. 'stop' somehow becomes 'ate'. So I will never become a published writer because I am incapable ot typing up and catching all my terrible erroneous spelling and or transcription errors. *sigh* 
> 
> Anyone interested in helping a struggling writer with some free editing for fantasy books? Anyone? Bueller?.... Bueller?....

              Alex looks up as Courage starts excitedly barking at 'daddy's return. She resists asking if they broke through because obviously they didn't.

              "Is everyone okay?" She asks, walking over to him as he picks up Courage for a breif snuggle.

              "Yes. We didn't loose anyone. But I need a rest." He puts Courage down so he can hold her instead. "It's the same ones, each time.  They just keep coming  back. I think we get closer and closer to it each time but I just keep running out of energy."

              "They get injured so much?"

              "They are so many more of them then there were in the very beginning. And I'm weaker, I think. I don't understand."

              "Maybe you need to spend time in Heaven as well." Alex suggests, though she doesn't want him to leave again. Every time they go, she's not sure they'll come back. 

              "I do. I will, maybe not enough. I don't think any of us are as strong as we once were, though. Dying may have taken something out of us." 

              "Maybe." She closes he eyes. "I applied for defferred admission for you. I just need you to sign a few things. I told them your sister was sick."

              "Thank you."

              "Luci, she'll be fine, you know. She always is. It'll all be okay." Alex tries to reassure him, though she's finding it hard to really believe it herself.

              "I know. Every time we leave or come back we stop in the abyss to make certain he hasn't been killed. The librarian is standing vigil while we're invading so he can alert us should he be killed while we..." Raphael stops. "I never should have gone with him. He told me not to... he..."

              "Raphael. There has never been a time where it would be unfounded or unreasonable of you not to do what he tells you to do since the garden of eden, and you know it." Alex lets go of him. "Don't beat yourself about that. Has she said anything about Krissy? It's Harahel, right? The librarian? There's only one,right. Anyways Krissy's upset because Hara's not talking to her, but she won't talk to me about anything for some reason."

               "No, Harahel hasn't said anything. I just assumed she was concentrating on her duties after that incident after thanksgiving. She is a very conscientious angel." Raphael comments.

               "Do you think I could go talk to her? The next time she's in the abyss. Maybe I could know what to tell Krissy and help her make up with Hara. They adore each other. I can't imagine its conscientiousness that makes someone stop even talking to their best friend." 

               "I'll take you to the abyss when I go up to heaven and have her meet you. I just need to be with you for a while, if that's alright with you."

               "More than alright."

 

               "Where is the librarian?" Michael demands from the angel waiting by the desk.

               "There's a librarian?" The angel asks, surprised. Michael just looks at the angel a moment debating wether or not to address this remark or exactly how to begin.

                "Yes."

                "Oh. I don't know. At the end of the pulley maybe?" The angel points up at a small box and pulley system. Sometimes Michael questions why their father made the angels he did, but since none make him question this creation as much as Gabriel's, it's generally just a fleeting thing. 

                Heaven is suspiciously quiet as he follows the pulley system back deep into the stacks. He's not sure why, but he has more important things to concern himself with at the moment. Heaven is operating just fine without him, which stings more than he cares to admit. No one in heaven needs him at all anymore. The fledglings like having him around but the others have them well in hand. Gabriel has never needed him or at least never wanted to admit needing him since she was created and that hasn't changed at all. It just seems to be true now. Not even Raphael needs him. He has Alex to love him talk to him comfort him. The one person who truly does need him right now, he can't get to nomatter how hard he tries. He hasn't felt so helpless in a very long time. 

                  It's probably something he should talk to Alex about, but the closer she and Raphael have gotten the less Michael finds himself wanting to talk to her about anything. Not that he doesn't trust her, but he just... feels angry and resentful. How can he talk to her about that? He already knows she doesn't deserve it. Not really. But how could she love him the way she and Raphael think she does and still not want to marry him. Why would she need a break in the first place? And how could Raphael just drop everything at the slightest word from her? And yet still not be good enough to marry. He'd give everything he is for herand it's not enough. Why isn't it enough? What is he doing wrong? 

                 "Librarian!" He calls the angel looking at a picture back in the corner.  The small blue angel with the beautiful mother of pearl wings hastily shoves the pictures away and gets to his feet. Her feet? Michael thinks he remembers this one prefers to be called 'her'.

                 "Yes, sir? Are you venturing out again?" She looks, nervous, smothing out her tunic.

                 "Soon. I need to recharge, breifly and I wished to know if you had access to any treatise on the rise of Impressionism or Modern Art."

                 "Yes, sir. Any particular author?"

                 "No. I'm finished with explanation on technique. I'm curious as to the history and contextual significances of the movements. Art is so personal I was thinking if I could better understand the artist and the times they developed their skill in, I could understand maybe how to... better express myself."

                 "Oh. I know what book you want!" She takes off quickly, knocking over the small box of her things in her hurry to get away. Several pictures float over to his feet. He picks them up, gently putting them back. The most worn one is of Krissy Chambers in a hospital bed holding an infant with the vessel the librarian has been using, holding them both with an almost deleriously happy smile. There's a small hand made bear with a badly sitched neck and blue shirt. There's a small hospital bracelet, Baby Boy Chambers. A sonogram with a note in the margin 'my jellybean'. A lock of hair. Tears, dozens of pearl angel tears.

                 But Harahel didn't meet Krissy Chambers until the wedding. Her son had been dead for months by then. There's a sealed  parchment with Gabriel's official seal on it.  A judgement. What could this timid reclusive little angel possibly have done or been involved in that would require an official judgement from the Archangel of Justice?

                "Here you are, sir. It's consistantly refernced in other works as time goes on so at hte very least people agree on it's quality. "Harahel pauses seeing the scroll in Michael's hands.

                "What is this?" Michael asks gently holding the judgement in his hands.

                "My punishment." She says quietly. "My... probation orders." She looks down at the book in her hands. Her wings trembling in fear.

                "For?"

                "I tried to make a deal with a demon."

                "For?"

                 "A baby's life. I wasn't going to give them anything but myself, I swear. I... I had to.. I just..."

                 "Was it your baby?" Michael keeps his voice as soft and soothing as he can. 

                 "No. Not like that. Krissy Jr. was just... hers. She made me his guardian angel and I let him die and I had... I had to do something."

                 "Couldn't Raphael have ressurrected him?" Michael frowns. How is it even possible that this child would have had to go to demons at all?

                 "No. His father was a greek god, so he was a demi god. His soul went to the abyss and he couldn't... nobody would do anything, I just..." 

                 "I'm sorry." Michael places a hand on the angel's head.

                 "I know it was wrong. I'm just such a useless angel. Nobody loves me. Nobody remembers me. Nobody needs me for anything. I didn't think it would matter. And it doesn't because I never get it right and I don't ever know what's right and I'm just so afraid to do anything and be wrong."

                 "Come here." Michael sighs, waving her over and hugs his little sister. "You are not useless or unnecessary. You are a librarian. Our libraria. I need you, especially for that. And you are certainly not unloved. Ms. Chambers loves you."

                  "Only because she doesn't remember me." Michael's not even sure he wants to get into that.

                  "I love you."

                  "You don't remember me either. Do you even know my name?"

                  "Harahel?" Michael tries not to sound so unsure. "You're my sister. I love you. I love all of you. Even if it doesn't mean anything, I do. I love and care about every single one of you, even when I'm angry with you, or can't always remember all your names because there are a million of you and that will never change no matter what you do." She folds her wings around the little angel. "Nobody else has been willing to help us with saving Helel like this."

                   "I'm just... I'm not.. I'm just making sure you three don't stay in danger unneccesarily. I'm not... I can't..." she stammers almost frightened at the assertion.

                   "Very well, but it's still more than your brothers would do. that and the fact that you volunteered mean alot to me. So, thank you."

                    "I am glad you don't have to kill him anymore. It's such an awful thing to have to... he's really trying to be good again and be our brother? It's not a lie?" 

                   "I think he is. He has all the ethical maturity of a toddler, but he's trying. We all are. None of us know what's really right or best. All we can do is try. You shouldn't be so unhappy..."

                  "I'm sorry."The angels' apology makes him regret his choice of words.

                  "No, I didn't... I want you to talk to Alex. She can help you feel better, do better. She can help you understand things you need to understand in order to change the way you want to change, or at least start to." Michael lifts the librarians chin to make her meet his eyes. "You're more than you think you are. It's just sadness and pain and exhaustion taking it's toll. Mistakes that pile up. I felt the same way you do, but Alex helped me. She can help you, too."

                  "You did?" This finally seems to get the angels full attention.

                   "Yes. Everything I thought was right was wrong. I felt forgottne, abandoned, unloved, unwanted...  I was wrong, but I couldn't see it through my pain. Alex helped me come back from that. I want the same for you."

                   "She's just one human and has so much to do. She shouldn't waste her time on me."

                   "This is not a request, soldier." Michael says firmly as gentle encouragement doesn't seem to be working. "I want you to go to her and make an appointment to speak before the day is out. The solar day." He clarifies."Earth's solar day."

                    "Yes, sir."

                     "Thank you for the book."  Michael kisses her forhead and heads out of the library., flipping through the index. It's french. Maybe while he's here, he can go say hello to Joan. Maybe try again to make amends to Adam Milligan. But maybe it's better to just let them be.

                     "Michael?" One of the lesser guards walks up to him. "Your presence has been requeted in the garden."

                     "When?"

                     "Now, if it's convenient." She stammers.

                     "Very well." Michael closes the book. He was just going to rest in the archangel quarters for a while and read, but if someone needs to speak to him it's not a problem. Oddly enough it sems every angel in heaven is in the garden as well. Hannah's standing by the tree in the center with one of the moss covered stools. Raphael used to maek, empty beside her. "You wished to see me?" He asks.

                      "Yes. Please have a seat." Hannah waves to the steely sitting down on one beside himas he does so. His sibling all look worried and concerned adn not a little nervous. None of which bodes well.

                      "Yes?"

                      "Michael, "Hannah turns to him. "I know that things between Us have been strained. We've all made decisions that we haven't always appreciated or approved of, but we all want you to know that we love you, and always will. You are the closest thing to a parent we have all truly known. No angel has ever been more to us that you have, and nothing can ever change that."

                      "I love you all as well." Michael looks warily around the garden, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He's not sure where they're going with this conversation and he's not entirely sure he wants to. "If I was a parent to you, I wish I had been a better one. Maybe things wouldn't be as strained. I...  don't have an excess of time however. your elder siblings and I will be venturing out shortly and I do need to rest before hand."

                      "Yes, actually, that is what we wished to speak to you about. Michael, Miqa we're worried about you, about all four of you, but mostly about you." Hanna steels herself as does ever other angel in the garden. "We are... concerned that your reconciliation with Lucifer is... less than beneficial to you."

                     "You're just being used!" One cries out unable to help himself.

                     "He's just manipulating you, Miqa."

                     "Please, you have to stop this. He's going to get you killed agian." Another begs. 

                     "Just leave him in purgatory. It's the perfect place for him. He can't hurt anyone.. he can't..." But whoever suggets this is stopped from completing this thought by the look on Michael's face. But it's clear that everyone agrees with the sentiment.

                     "I am never forsaking him again. Not now, not ever. In case you were unaware of this, the only reason Helel was even in purgatory was to retrieve the soul of the woman Raphael loves. He was only left behind through preventing Raphael from being left behind, graceless and alone. I will not abandon him after such an act of complete and utter self sacrifice."

                     "Are we sure it wasn't intentional?" One grouses quietly to his neighbor. "I bet you a tertial, he'll have taken over purgatory by the time they get in." No one seems to want to take that bet. 

                    "And you're willing to put Raphael back in danger to retreive him? And Gabriel?" Hannah asks a rather pointed question that peirces rather deeply. It would be near impossible for him to get through without them, yet every assault he's risking not only his life, but their lives as well. How could he have ever excused taking that risk. He didn't want them to, but when they insisted he selfishly relented.

                    "You make a very good point and I will take what you have said into consideration. But regardless of anything I am going to get him back, and I will do everything in my power to do so. How could I do anything less? I love him." Michael confesses.

                   "We understand. He's our brother we all loved him too, but..." Hannah starts.

                   "No.You don't understand. I don't just love him, I am in love with him and I always have been. I simply didn't understand the difference until recently." Michael stands up. "And when I get him back, I fully intend to marry him." The breif shocked silence is nothing but the eye before the storm.

 

                   "Oh shit!" Bree quickly hands Shelly to Sam.

                   "Djit!" Shelly attempts to mimic her mother.  Sam just gives Gabriel that look that promises many long lonely nights on the couch. You know, if she slept.

                   "I'm sorry, but apparently Michael just confessed his undying love to Luci to all of heaven and everyone's loosing their damned minds. I have to go." She dissappears.

                   "Suze!" Shelly crawls over her fathers arm to the pile of plastic covered books and grabs the corner of one of the covers. Sam quickly scoops her and it up before she can rip it from the spine. "Pok bok!" she reaches down again.

                   "Pok bok... oh, fox in sox." Sam guesses and picks it up.

                   "Yay! Pok Bok!" She squeals and claps as Sam opens it to the first page. "Pok bok bok. Bok bok pok." She recites with the same intonation her mother has when reading it to her and tries to turn the page. Sam tries very hard not to start laughing and fails miserably. Shelly just looks up at him with a very serious and annoyed expression. " Dada, buh. Ah wee. Tsss." she shushes him, sternly.

                   "I'm very sorry." He apologizes. "Please, continue." But while he can withold audible laughter he can't keep from shaking slightly and Shelly just scowls at him looking more like her uncle Raphael than she ever has before which is somehow even more hilarious. "Sorry, sweetie. You're just so cute." Sam smothers her with kisses and raspberries until she starts laughing as well.

                    "Okay. So, now I can't find Michael." Gabriel returns. " And apparently those... idiots tried to talk him out of going after Luci again by citing the danger to me and Raph so she's probably doing something even more stupid like trying to go and break through to purgatory by herself. So I have to do something dumb like going after her with Raphael, because if anything happens to Miqa because of this both Luci and Raph will lose it and I do not want to see what happens when those two are on the same side and pissed off at our siblings. So, I love you,"She kisses Shelly's head then Sam's "And I love you, and if I don't come back, make sure you let my little brothers and sisters in heaven know that it's all their damn fault. If I survive this, they are so fucking grounded I am not even kidding.

                    "Wait!" Sam tries to grab hold of her arm before she can leave but it's too late and she's vanished. "Shit..."

                    "Djit?" Shelly looks up distresses at his distress.

                    "Cas!" Sam gets to his feet, holding his daughter tightly to him. "Castiel, where are you?"

                     "I am here, Sam. What's wrong?" Cas appears beside him.

                    "Gabriel is headed to purgatory with only Raphael because she thinks Michael's gone there alone which he might have. You have to do something. Please. Stop her, help her just you can't let her do this. They were barely making it back when it was all three of them.  It's suicide." If Castiel had ever even considered doing anything else, the dual pairs of distressed eyes turned his way would have made it even more impossible.

                     "I understand. She will come home to you." Castiel promises, pausing breifly to pat Shelly's head before he too dissappears,  racing after his elder siblings.


	33. Crazy Stupid Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci wins his war  
> Gabriel, Castiel and Raphael are forced to retreat  
> Michael breaks through.

  “Are you sure about this?” The nephilim signs the question, the best way not to be overheard, and leading Luci off to the side. 

   “Absolutely.” He nods.

   “There are only five of us.”

    “I know. And it’s six. I’m going with you.” 

   “Oh. Alright then, no more questions.” The nephilim reconsiders his previous objections to the plan.

   “I like you, you’re smart. You’re my favorite nephew.” Luci pats his head. Even if he doesn’t trust Luci to care about the safety of the others, he’s at least smart enough to know that the devil cares about his own welfare and is not about to embark on a suicide mission. “You can give the kiddies back when we take the palace. Sound good?”

    “It does, actually.” He grins.

    “How are your cousins doing with the levi?” 

    “Good, we have a bunch of new statues and crags now. Encasing them in glass helps immensely. Especially since they’ve been gathering the ones damaged by the destroyer.” he comments. Good. If it works on them it should work on eve.

     “Did you find the pheonix?

     “Ruihi, are you ready?” Luci turns back to vocal speech and heads over to the shifter, slapping his shoulder.

     “Sure, are you sure you’ll be fine with all of us gone?” He asks quietly. “Do you really trust those angel spawn?”

     “What  I trust is that we all know where our best interests lie. Take care of yourself. I don’t feel like learning anyone else’s name but I don’t feel like searching for your pieces in the valley either.”

       “I’ll try to make sure I’m immolated and not just dismembered the next time I die. For your convenience.” Is the sarcastic response.

       “Good man. I’ll see you when you return.” Ruihi just rolls his eyes and gathers his men.

        The bulk of Eve’s defenses are  massing near the border by the preserves, thanks to some well placed rumors, as well as a troop of leviathan for the same reason. While Ruihi and the other monsters head out for a frontal assault on Eve’s castle orchestrated to be convincing enough to draw most of the attention. A contingent will likely be sent to attack those ‘left behind’ at the cave as Ruihi thinks Luci is staying back to consume the power of the souls already captured and thus so will Eve or any levi that comes close enough.

         As soon as Luci sets up a self sustaining magical decoy in the cave, using some of the peices of monster, he and the nephilim head out. The largest disadvantage is that ever knows and can spy on any and all of her children with little effort depending on how close they are. But as noted by Ruihi, nephilim are angel spawn, not her children.

 

       “Do you see her anywhere?” Gabriel catches up with Raphael as they break away from the edge of purgatory to regroup. “Michael’s not answering me.”

       “No. I can’t.” Raphael takes his sister’s hand, healing her rent wings and half dismembered shoulder. “Gabriel, I’m exhausted. I don’t have anything left. You have to go back.”

      “I’m not leaving you two to do this alone, Raph.” She takes hold of him, refusing to let him go. “It’s stupid of Michael to do it and dumber of us to even think of going solo. There has to be some other way to get in there.” 

       “Where’s Castiel?” Raphael looks back at the mention of  ‘you two’.

       “Cas? Oh fuck, hold on.” She darts back across the veil and searches for their brother, grabbing him by the wings and pulling him back out of reach of the swarming levi. “I thought I told you to go home!”

        “I promised Sam I would keep you safe. Just because Michael has decided to be reckless doesn’t mean the two of you should be. Gabriel you have a child!” He snaps at her, pulling free. “Michelle needs you.”

         “We have to regroup.” Raphael interrupts the budding argument. “None of us can get through alone. We just can’t.”

         “I can’t believe you’re saying to just… leave that lunatic.” Gabriel protests.

         “I am not losing the two of you to try and save Michael from her own stubbornness! We need to regain our strength.”

        “We can’t find her and we can’t break through on our own.” Castiel admits. “We need a better strategy.”

         “Fine!” Gabriel tightens her lips. “I can’t believe she did this. No, I can. She never listens to reason!”

         “One thing the two of you have in common.” Raphael snaps, eliciting a dark look from his little sister,as he forcibly ushers his exhausted siblings back towards heaven. “Rest and regain your strength. I will let everyone know you’re alright.” He brings them to the soft round bed he’d stolen from Gabriel’s room after she left. The two just sort of plop down without further protest.

         “C’mon, you two Raph.” Gabriel reaches an arm out. It’s a testiment to their exhaustion that they don’t just insist on going down in person. But if Raphael does, they probably will as well, so he lays down beside his sister. In truth all of them are so completely drained that they’re soon as close to asleep as angels ever come. 

        Luci looks up to the sky as it bursts into flames. It’s beautiful, the entire horizon is lit up in blue flames, dulling to red in seconds. The resulting force flattens the a few of the smaller trees around the castle and gives them a lovely warm dry breeze. A wonderful sight after an honestly disappointing battle. Granted he had hoped everything would go as planned, dropping down right into the throne room, taking out the mother of all monsters, and then spreading outward. But things never go as planned. That they did was incredibly boring. 

        “Lucif...um, devil girl!” An older nephilim runs over. “There’s a complication. A big, big terrible complication!” He panics pointing to the enflamed horizon.

        “Isn’t it lovely?” Luci smiles at it.

        “Love… that’s Michael!” He actually pronounces it right, too. Maybe Luci will bother to learn this ones name. “The destroyer. Heaven’s butcher!”

        “Yup, that’s my Mitcha. Isn’t she wonderful?” Luci rests his head on his arms.

        “He’ll dismember us all! W-won’t he?  I thought he was your enemy.” the man looks a little confused.

        “We made up. And she won’t dismember anyone who’s not stupid enough to try and attack her. It’s okay. She’s coming rescue me.” Luci walks away from the window. “Well, taxi me out of this dump anyways.” He kicks a dismembered hand aside. “Clean that up would you?” He sits on Eve’s throne. Lovely, plush, filled with angel feathers, the little bitch. He’s definitely taking the cushions with him. The angel blades from the armory too. They’ll have to get the rest of them back from whoever has them in here. Not much use against levi’s but against everyone else in purgatory, absolutely. Still, the little ones need their weapons back when they hatch.

         “Ma’am, we can’t find the children.” Another walks up to him.

         “Alright. Give me a feather and a map of the castle.” he nods to them. “And a soul. One of our prisoners maybe.”

         “A… a feather.”

         “A nephilim feather to help locate the nephilim children you’re talking about?” Does he think Luci just wants to make a headdress?

         “Yes, but…” Ah, he’s nervous, not ignorant. Reluctant to have any of his freinds hand over a peice of their soul to the devil for spells. Reasonable.

         “Or you know, just keep looking the normal way. it’s up to you.” Luci shrugs and slouches down a bit, putting his feet up on the pile of Eve’s body guards by the throne. the creature leaves, either to look or get a map and feather, Luci’s not sure. Not that he really cares either way. He’ll definitely need to start setting something up to make sure Shelly has a nice little kingdom waiting for her. Will Michael want to leave right away? Or would she be okay with setting purgatory up in a sort of trust for Shelly.

         “Excuse me.” Another one of them, a girl this time runs in. “My cousins are here to see you.” They didn’t waste any time, did they?

          “I figured they would be.” He rolls his eyes. “Send them in.”

          “Yes, Ma’am.” It’s amazing how repectful most of them got after seeing him fight. Granted more of Eve’s servants ended up just giving up when she was beheaded that he expected but he did still get a nice little workout.

           “Let me guess, you’re here because you want your children, and don’t want to be incinerated by Michael when she gets here.” Luci doesn’t even look up as the leaders and several larger nephilim walk into the bloody throne room.

             “We are here for the children, yes.” That same samoan guy states firmly. “They are the ones we wish not to be tormented by that murderous…” The look in Luci’s eyes as he begins the insult makes the man stop and step back slightly despite himself.

             “We haven’t found them yet. Join the search and take them when you find them” Luci nods to them. “If there are any of eve’s servants you want to take with you as well, feel free. Is there anything else?” They just stand there staring at him.

              “I don’t know. Is there?” He eyes Luci suspiciously.

              “No, not really. Oh, actually.” Luci snaps his fingers. “Do you have any paper? Or more importantly ink? Not that I mind bleeding a prisoner but I am on probation and stuff and pretty sure my P.O. would prefer that I don’t.” They just continues to stare at him, until he gives them his sweetest, most innocent smile. “Now do you need something else? Because I have things to do before company comes.”

              “No. No we don’t.”

              “Then go on. Shoo. Fetch your kiddies.” He waves them away.” Maybe charcoal would word. But there’s no fat to mix it with. There is plenty of stone, though. Etching his edicts into stone tablets might work. Not very original and no room for typos, but they’ll definitely be durable. He should probably make sure to tell his men not to try and stop Michael from getting in. And probably Gabriel and Raphael as well.

              “Hey, nephew, whoever the hell you are.” Luci calls out to the one at the door. “Make sure everyone knows to just let any angels coming this way pass unhindered.”

              “Are you sure?” the man sounds a bit nervous.

              “Did I stutter?”

              “No, ma’am.” She hurries off. This is ridiculous. it really is, they question everything all the time, they don’t trust him and they’re afraid of him, just not enough to just shut up and obey without question. How is he supposed to effectively lead anyone and not engage in violence and deceit or any of the other manipulative crap he’s so damn good at. For that matter what will Michael think about this?

               She was angry just because he got a couple dumb kids to destroy that well meant but infuriating ice sculpture, and now he’s led the small unit of nephilim to over through an entire kingdom. Granted, this is to ensure their neice has a decent afterlife available to her. Someplace safe, or relatively safe to wait while they figure out how to get her somewhere better or try to resurrect her. He’ll need a plan before Michael gets there. Or at least make sure everythings decently secure. Either Ruihi or more of Eve’s forces should be returning to her palace shortly. Ah well, time to go check on the glassworks. Luci checks to make sure Eve’s head is still tied to his belt by the hair and heads out.

  
  


                 “Do you have to carry that around?” One of the surrendered monsters looks up at Luci’s new staff, topped with the glass encased head.

                 “Yes. “He smiles at it, tweaking the glass covered nose. “Yes I do. So, any news about Michael?”  The man shakes his head. It’s odd how hillarious he finds all of Michael’s nicknames. Heaven’s butcher. The Destroyer. Flaming Death. The Wrath of God.  Blinding fury.  Some are better than others.  Granted it’s because he killed most of them, and their children. Luci probably could have used them if he didn’t find them unbearably distasteful and repellent at the time. The most vile of abominations. 

                 “He just let that monster slaughter us. He didn’t do a thing to save any of us and you’re trusting him with our children now?” Luci hears one of the others demand of one of his nephilim.

                 “No. I’m trying to save my little sister. Now will you shut up and help me did?”

                 “Find something?” Luci walks over as one pushes a crude stone shovel into the earth.

                  “I don’t know yet. I don’t suppose you’d care to help me dig?” Is the sarcastic response.

                 “Sure.” Luci beckons the soul he’s dragging around with him over. “C’mon, it’s okay.”

                 “You want me to dig?” The vampire asks hopefully.

                 “Nope.” Luci places a hand on his chest and pulls the energy directly from his soul, through the illusive sheilding manifesting as their bodies and into the ground with his staff. The earth trembles and parts knocking a few of the nephilim back. It also reveals a large stone structure buried deep in the otherwise empty plot of land.  The vampire looks a bit pale and drained. “Alright. You’re dismissed. go rest up. Relax a little” Luci pats the vamps shoulder. 

               “What did you just do?”

              “Used energy from his soul to manipulate the environment. Why do you ask?” he leans on the staff.

               “Wh-how did you do that?” He corrects himself. “Can we do that?”

               “I doubt it. Not directly like that. most souls in here belong to mother eve. And they’re already being used in giving you the abilities you had when you were living monsters. Actually, you nephilim might be able to, but I’m not exactly feeling inclined to teach a class in metaphysics, even if i did have the time. So just focus your attention on getting through the stone.” He points his staff to the deeply embedded structure.

               “I don’t take orders from angels.” The nephilim snaps. Luci can’t help but smile at being called an angel. 

               “Then don’t. I don’t care. You’re the ones trying to find your kids, not me. Is  Ruihi back yet? Or does it look like enemy forces are going to get here first?” He turns and heads towards the main gates, leaving them confused behind him. It’s kind of funny actually, being honest and sincere and straightforward about everything, at least as much as he can make himself.  Then watching everyone having no fucking clue what’s going on, what to do, what to believe, trying to figure out tricks and lies that aren’t there. It’s as entertaining as it is frustrating.

              “Satan!” Ruihi call angrily, striding over before Luci can even leave the area.

              “It’s Satine.” He corrects him. The joke goes right over the maori’s head of course. He pauses in confusion his expression turning into one of shock when he sees the glass encased head on the top of Luci’s necessarily thick staff. “You like? She won’t be any trouble so long as she’s kept in here.”

               “Okay, that is impressive, but you still sent us on a suicide mission without telling us.”

                “Of course I didn’t tell you. I couldn’t because if you didn’t know, they couldn’t get the information from you. It depended entirely on the element of surprise. And this is purgatory. There’s no such thing as a suicide mission when you’re already dead.  You really didn’t miss much, honestly.”

             “I’m pretty sure I missed a whole hell of a lot actually.” Ruihi just stares at the staff. “Have you found the children?”

              “Not yet. They might be in that stone cellar back that way, we’re not sure.” He motions back to the hole.

                “Very well.” Ruihi hops down and starts helping chip away at the stone. “By the way, we found an injured angel on the way here. We had to restrain him, but in case he was one you liked we tried not to hurt him and just brought him along here with us.” Ruihi comments.

                “What? That’s information you should have opened with, Ru.  Where is he?”

                “Gate house.”

                “Pain in the ass freaks.” Luci mutters and heads to the front of Eve’s palace as fast as he can go without looking like he’s hurrying. But what if he’s very badly hurt. So hurt that seconds could make a difference. Luci shakes his head and breaks into a run, until he reaches the gate house door. “Where’s the angel! he slams it open, startling the few men inside.\

                  “He… he’s in there.” They point to the barricaded door to their left.

                  “Unblock the door.” He says slowly, cooly. They quickly comply. Luci draws the sword and prepares himself just in case it’s not one of the siblings he’s on good terms with.  “Now open it.” They don’t move. “DO IT! NOW!” they quickly unbar and open the door. Michael is sitting on the floor by the small cot, peices of flesh gouged out or scraped off, healed just enough to stop the loss of grace. He’s missing his left arm from the elbow down, and just looks generally exhausted.

                  “Where the hell is Raphael?” He exclaims.

                  “I didn’t take him with me. They were right, I shouldn’t have been risking anything happening to him and Gabriel again. And you know I have to hold back when they’re close by.” Michael explains.

                 “You idiot.” Luci  kneels down in front of her and embraces the angel with one hand, not wanting to let go of the staff. “You absolute fucking moron.” he holds onto Michael as tightly as he can. “Why would you… Did you think I’d want you getting yourself killed trying to save me again? How could you do that to Raphael? What… you stupid, stupid angel.”

                   “I love you, too.”And of course she gives him that stupid lovey smile. “Are you alright? You aren’t injured? Have you taken over purgatory yet?” The last one is obviously a joke.

                    “Just half of it.” Luci confesses. “Kind of.  I was bored!” he protests at the exhasperated sigh Michael gives at this. “And did you know that nephilim are sent to purgatory when they die? Because I didn’t. Now, we are going to have to finish conquering purgatory and setting up a regency for our little song just in case we can’t fix this terrible thing before she dies.”

                    “The nephilim are here?”

                    “Yes.”

                    “Very well. I’ll do what I can to help.”

                    “Seriously?” Luci sits back and looks at him. Michael nods. “Huh. I’d have thought you’d need more convincing than .”

                    “We don’t always disagree on everything, Helel. Shelly is my neice, too.”

                    “Well, Yes, but…”

                    “We can argue if you want, but I have no problem with helping you make Michele’s current afterlife a better place instead of trying to immediately break back out again. If you don’t mind though, I’ll need a little rest either way.”

                     “Of course. Come on, let’s get you somewhere more comfortable.” He puts an arm under Michael’s shoulder and helps him to his feet. “Eve’s room is fantastic. Don’t mind all the bodies, we had to dismember almost everyone left behind.” Luci walks her out. “I will have to prepare the castle for the inevitable assault to try and take it back and free Eve. Will you be able to defend yourself if I leave you in the room or should I lock and ward you in until you’ve recuperated?”

                     “Wards would be appreciated, but I don’t know how you’ll do them.”

                      “Watch and learn, lover,” Luci grins, “Watch and learn.” 


	34. And how does that make you feel?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shelly throws a tantrum  
> Alex starts to councel Harahel and a group of heaven's leaders  
> Angels don't understand what therapy is

                 "Hey," Alex greets Sam as she walks down the stairs, courage trotting behind her. "Thanks for watching Courage. I'd hate to think how he'd react to the abyss and I don't want to leave him alone in the apartment." She looks down at hte dog who runs over to shelly's high chair where she drops a peice of hotdog on the floor.   
  
                  "It's not a problem." He looks back. "Is everything alright?"   
  
                  "Yes. I think so, apocalyptically speaking I mean. I got a note from Harahel. Apparently in his last trip to heaven Michael ordered her tomake an appointment with me, so I'm meeting her in the abyss. She wants to talk vessel free and is keeping an eye out for Luci. How are you holding up?"   
  
                  "Alright. Babe's resting in heaven with Cas and Raphael for a bit. She sent me a text."   
  
                  "Oh, right. Raphael sent me the same thing. It's still kind of stressful, though." She looks down at her phone. She should probably let Harahel know they're back in case they haven't so she can go back to the library or go see Krissy. Hopefully she'll see Krissy after they meet.   
  
                  "I'm okay. Really." Sam gives her a tired smile.   
  
                   "Daddy." Shelly pats his arm and holds up a piece of hotdog. "Ahhh." she opens her mouth. Sam complies and leans forwards to let her put it in her mouth which she follows up by pushing his mouth closed with her hands. "Goo daddy." she pats his cheek as he chews and swallows.   
  
                   "Of she's moved on to daddy from dada now, huh?" Alex smiles at the cutie.   
  
                   "Yeah, she's better at the 'ee' sounds now. We're still working on the kuh sounds. say kuh, Shelly."   
  
                   "Ga!"   
  
                   "Say Cake."   
  
                   "GAY?" She brightens up.   
  
                   "Well she's not even one yet." Alex reminds him.   
  
                   "Daddy! Gay!" Shelly starts kicking her feet excitedly. Sam winces slightly.   
                   "Probably should have used a different word. Hold on, let me see what we have, honey. Finish your food and I'll give you a little cake." He kisses her forhead and stands up, heading into the kitchen.  Shelly immediately shoves the last peice of broccoli into her mouth and and pushes the rest of the hot dog onto the floor. She tries to do the same with the macaroni though it lands on her foot somehow. Courage quickly licks it off making her laugh and spray chewed up broccoli over the tray.   
  
                   "Vinis!" Shelly announces proudly as Alex covers her mouth trying not to laugh.   
  
                   "Who's finished?" Sam raies an eyebrow looking down at the dog eating the bits of hot dog and macaroni from the floor.   
  
                   "Me! Gimmie gay!" she bounces holding her hands out. Sam puts a small frostingless mini cupcake down on the tray before her. The indignant, outright offended look she gives him at this is outright hilarious.  "No. Gay." she clarifies.   
  
                   "I'll leave you to your... culinary dilemma. Is the portal still in the broom closet?"   
  
                   "Yes." Sam sits down again. "Join us for dinner later?"   
  
                   "Sure. Thanks." The cupcake splats against the wall as she heads down to the portal.   
  
               "NO! Mama Gay!"   
  
                "No cake." She hears Sam say firmly and hurries through the portal before the tantrum can start.

              “Hello Miss Jones.” One of the guards greets her a bit reluctantly. “I hope you’re well.”

              “I am, thank you. I’m here to see Harahel. Professionally.” She holds out the letter. 

               “Who’s Harahel?” The other one asks getting an odd look from the first one.

              “The librarian?”

               “We have a librarian?”

              “We… yes we have a librarian!” he hands the paper back to Alex. “Hannah wishes to speak to you when you return.”

              “I guess, sure. I doubt I’ll be very long.” She nods. “We may have to just schedule an appointment depending on how long I take today.”

              “I will relay the message.” he nods.

              “How long have we had a librarian?”

              “As long as we’ve had a library! You just got a book from her thirty years ago!”  Alex loves how they say ‘just’ thirty years. she steps into the abyss and finds herself in a snowy expanse. Over a bridge and under a willow tree a small blue angel with mother of pearl wings is sitting on a blanket.

              “Hey, Hara.” Alex walks over. “Hows it going?” The angel just shrugs. “So.” Alex sits down on the blanket across from her. “Michael ordered you into therapy, huh?” 

               “Yes.”

               “Well, don’t worry. It only works for a willing participant and if you really don’t want to talk to me, I’ll make sure Michael understands that this isn’t something he can force anyone to do.” She pats Hara’s knee. “He meant well,though. And we have been worried about you and Krissy. I’d be more than willing to have Claire give her a kick in the butt for you.” 

               “No. That’s okay.”

               “And just so you know, whatever you do tell me in a therapy session, unless it could or has caused direct harm to someone, even to yourself, I can’t tell anyone else unless you give me permission.”

               “Emotional harm too or just physical?” 

                “Physical, I guess. Unless it’s to a child or other helpless person under your care then emotional can count but it has to be severe and ongoing. Not just a one time loss of temper.” Alex considers.

                “So whatever I say, if it doesn’t hurt anyone physically you can’t tell anyone else what I said? Not Krissy or Michael or Gabriel?”                                  

                 “No one. Not even Raphael.” She reassures her. Harahel considers this, looking down at her hands, her wings fluffed and slightly agitated which looks especially odd given they look like they were carved from the inside of a seashell. Alex just sits quietly and waits for Hara to make up her mind. 

                  “I’m… having a hard time.” Hara says slowly. “I don’t know what to do and I’ve started getting so angry and I don’t know why. It’s not her fault. At all, but I’m just conflicted about everything. And i end up mad at Krissy all the time and sometimes at my brothers and sisters and it’s not their fault either. I know I’m being unreasonable but i can’t help it and I don’t understand why I keep feeling this way.”

                  “Can you give me an example?”

                  “Well… when.. when Krissy said we had a tryst with another occupied vessel. We didn’t. I got really angry and didn’t talk to her for a long time. At least it felt like a long time.” she amends.

                 “Yeah, that was totally and completely justified anger.” Alex reassures her.

                “It was?”

                “Of course it was! If Claire did that to me I’d kick her ass six ways from sunday.Or try at least. Actually I have a few real things I could tell Jody about to get her back with. So I’d probably go that route. Well, that or drug her nighcap and sew her pajama top and bottom together while she slept.”

                 “I couldn’t do that to Krissy. “What if she had to go to the bathroom?” Hara asks so innocently.

                 “Right.” Alex looks away. “Anyway, it’s good that you’re letting yourself be angry with her and show that you’re angry. It means you trust her and are comfortable enough with her to do so. It’s not healthy to never have a disagreement with someone you’re in any kind of relationship with. Especially not to be afraid to show it if you have.” 

                 “But she’s my friend. I don’t want to be angry with her.  I shouldn’t be angry with her. I should be grateful she wants anything to do with me at all!”

                 “Wow, um, okay. Give me a moment. I’m not even sure where to start with that one.” Alex rubs the bridge of her nose.

 

                 When she steps back through the portal, Alex feels beyond exhausted. She almost doesn’t notice the cracks in the bunker walls and floor.

                 “Hello?” She calls tenuously, not a little nervous.

                 “Shhh.” Sam hushes her, running out of the nursery.  “I just got her asleep.” He whispers.

                  “What happened?” Alex lowers her voice accordiingly.

                  “She was overtired. Threw a major tantrum, caused a small earthquake.” Sam explains with a sigh. “Possibly a hailstorm, which scared her into an even worse tantrum which shorted the lights. I had to sing her to sleep in candle light until the generator kicked in. I have no idea why my singing worked. Maybe it was the dancing.” He rubs his eyes.

                     “Should we order a pizza then?”

                     “Dean’s already out picking a couple up. Along with a few more fuses and fuel for the generator.” Sam confesses.

                     “You look like you need a nap too.”

                     “I do. You don’t mind?”

                     “Not if I can use the guest room.” She stretches. 

                     “No, go right ahead.”

                     “Bree’s not back yet?” 

                     “No, though a couple angels came down to try and help with shelly but that just made it worse so I had them stay away. Especially as one of them asked why I didn’t just give her cake just as she was starting to settle down a little the first time and that set her off all over again.” Sam shakes his head at the memory.

                      "Oh, geez.” Alex winces. “They mean well, but angels have virtually no social skills at all, I swear. Alright. Rest up the, I’ll see you soon.” She’ll have to stay the night anyways. She’s having a meeting with Hannah and her lieutenants regarding the situation with Michael the next day. Something she wished they’d asked for before having their little intervention the other day.

                       It’s probably going to be about him and Luci. Wanting to save him from himself from what they consider a dangerous relationship even worse than the one they initially thought the two had. She can’t exactly say it’s unreasonable or unfounded given that Luci is the devil and you don’t change overnight,not really. This is not going to be pleasant for her at all. Hopefully Sam will let her use his computer while she figures out what approach to use.

 

                   “Thank you for meeting with us.” Hannah sits down at the conference table. About twelve other angels are seated along side her all in suits. Alex can’t help but smile, thinking how cute it is they all dress like their big brother. she’d think it was just the way they dressed but since Raphael started varying some of the colors in his wardrobe, they have too.

                    “Well, it does need to be done, I suppose,” She takes the folders out of her bag and her notebook and sets them on the table before her. “First I’d like to make something perfectly clear. I will not be discussing anything Michael or any other angel has spoken to me about in our sessions without their express permission. Any attempt to force me to do otherwise and I will not provide and more of my services to heaven beyond what I already am.” She amends, not wanting to punish Michael and Hara for their siblings bad behavior.

                    “We understand.” Hannah says firmly, despite a few disgruntled looks from some of the others. “And we thank you for whatever assistance you provided to help our siblings in their distress. The positive effect on them has been undeniable. However the current situation is extremely serious. If Michael were to continue in her downward path to corruption, we would all be in extreme peril.”

                    “Michael’s not on a downward path to corruption.” Alex corrects her. “He’s simply growing as a person. In strength, wisdom, compassion, and understanding. It’s a Rocky messy process.”

                    “She’s taken Satan as lover! That’s more than a little rockiness!” One in the middle left exclaims. Hannah clears her throat and he shuts his mouth.

                    “We are concerned that this association isn’t good for her. More so than we were before.” Hannah says diplomatically.

                    “No, let everyone talk. Hold on.” Alex stand up and pulls out the white board from the side and looks for the dry erase marker. When she finds it she writes ‘concerns’ on top of the board. “Alright. We’re going to go around the table and each say what we’re concerned about in regards to this situation with Michael. Will someone write this down as a list for when I have to erase it? You can use my notebook and pens.” She points to them. The angel on her right reaches over to take them.  “So we have that you’re worried he’ll be corrupted by Lucifer. That he’s sexually active with the same. You sir, you can go next.” She points to the one on Hannah’s right. “What worries you about this?”

                     “I’m afraid Michael will kill us all and destroy the universe, even if just inadvertantly.” She says simply. “If he’s corrupted. You know, like Castiel almost did so many times. And that was with relatively well intentioned if infuriating creatures like the Winchesters.”

                      “Okay.”  Alex writes it down. Will destroy siblings and or universe. Next are, will irreparably damage humanity. Rebel against their father’s memory and principles. Will get his heart broken all over again. Will be manipulated into committing great acts of evil. That he’ll die again. That if their father comes back he’ll get in trouble.  That he’ll be tricked into giving Lucifer his grace back. That he’ll just turn his back on all of heaven completely. The last two, that they don’t even know who Michael is anymore and are afraid they never will, aren’t the most severe but probably the most important. It’s definitely the first thing to address. 

                     “Excuse me.” One raises his hand halfway through the discussion of who they thought Michael was. Brave, strong, demanding, protective, wise, etc.  “But how is all of this going to help you make him cut ties with Lucifer?”

                      “That is exactly the wrong question to be asking.” Alex sighs. “Is that was you all want from me? To use my influence to manipulate Michael into doing what you want?” She looks around the room. 

                      “I wouldn’t put it that way…” Hannah says carefully.

                      “None of us, you or me, have the right to try and force him to do anything. Not unless there’s a clear and present immediate and inevitable danger to himself and others. That’s not what therapy is about. Therapy is about self improvement, understanding yourself and your strengths and weaknesses better and to use those strengths to combat and improve on those weaknesses.”

                       “You’re not even twenty five years old, and you’re trying to tell us you know how to improve us?” An east asian woman scoffs, crossing her arms.

                       “No. I’m not. I don’t really know anything about any of you so how could I? I do know however, how to find the tools you can use to do it yourselves and can help you understand the principles behind them and direct you in their proper use. Thousands up on thousands of other humans before me have been studying and experimenting with these technique and principles for over a lifetime. I have all of their wisdom and knowledge to refer to and if Michael, the oldest created being in the world thinks that’s good enough qualifications to consult with me on this, I don’t see why my age should be an issue with you.” Alex puts her hands on her hips. Angels. “Now what we are doing is discussing each of your concerns in turn and working out ways for you to address them more effectively and how best to conduct yourself in the situation. I will absolutely be working with Michael but what we work on is between us. I can tell you this much, all he wants is to be a better angel, a better brother, and to try and understand himself and others better than he does.

                     “It is not an easy process. It’s not a quick process. And he will get hurt, he will make mistakes and he will do things you don’t like understand or approve of.  Michael is not, never has been and never will be perfect. But he is and always has been a good angel who tries his best to do what’s right no matter how badly it hurts him to do so. Can any of you deny that?” She looks around the room. Several look away, while Hannah gives a nod, conceding the point. “Now, seeing as none of you know what to do about this, and none of you want to alienate or further him on what you view a distructive harmful path, and in fact may inadvertently get him killed with your last attempt, Or at least stranded in purgatory alone with the very brother you don’t want him to associate with, maybe, just maybe, this is worth seeing through.” She taps the white board with the marker. “I put a whole hell of a lot of work into this for you and your short notice summons and unless you plan on invading purgatory immediately to rescue them, then there’s not exactly any harm in taking the time to try something different than the behavior that has repeatedly caused painful nearly irreparable rifts between you and your other questioning brethren.”

                      “We’ll continue.” Hannah nods. Alex looks to everyone else who give reluctant nods as well.

                       “Thank you. Now, I’m going to hand you each some paper and pencils and I want each of you to write down an event that you can remember, a personal experience with Michael that left the greatest impression on you. An experience that was the best you had with him, and one that was the worst. You’re not required to share it with the group though it is encouraged, but I want it on hand for you to reference throughout the meeting. What’s more, anything that does get shared by anyone in this room is not to be shared or discussed with anyone outside it by anyone other than the person who shared it.  Honestly is incredibly important to the process and that includes telling the truth about things you’re not particularly proud of or happy about. And I want this to be a safe space for everyone here. Understood?”

                      “Yes. Ms. Jones. We understand.”

 

                  Alex is sleeping when Raphael finally returns to the apartment, rested and refreshed. Courage is curled up along side her as he’s taken to doing when Raphael isn’t there. On the pillow near her head is an open folder with worksheets on the best things to do when you think a loved one is in an abusive relationship. He cracks a smile and kisses her cheek before heading out to the kitchen. He’ll have to prepare some ready to cook meals for her for when he leaves again. Of course he might have a little while. The three of them talked and talked about possible alternatives to breaking through, but all of them were more hazardous than the next. If Michael and Lucifer are in purgatory and alive, then they should have no trouble staying alive for a good while. 

                  Once more he has to leave the two of them trapped in some sort of prison, though the circumstances are far different. If he had any hope of success at all he’d break through himself and go to them to help them break out again, but he doesn’t and he has Gabriel and Castiel to consider. Not to mention the fact that Shelly’s grace has started to manifest along with her will, and Gabriel will have to figure out what to do about that when she can’t be there to keep the infant in check. Castiel is still learning himself so he won’t be much help with that.

                  Maybe some sort of binding. Something she can’t take off that can’t be taken off her by the wrong people. Bracelets fitting tightly around her wrist?  Nothing as thorough as when he bound Helel. Definitely not branded into her skin like that.  And he’ll still want anyone to be able to heal her should she get injured. She might not though, she should still be stronger and harder to injure than a human in general. He’s not sure. And what if something happens to them and there’s no one able to remove it or make it grow as she ages. That could cause serious problems. Really, Gabriel should stay with her. But she won’t agree to do nothing while Michael and Luci are trapped in purgatory. She has no appreciation for her own mortality at all. Not that it means what it once did, but still time lost is time lost. Shelly will only be a child once and deserves to grow up with a mother.

                  “Hey, you.” Alex greets him, leaning on the door frame. “Welcome back.”

                 “I didn’t want to wake you.” He explains though she didn’t ask for an explanation.

                “Thanks. I’ve had an exhausting week. Have you talked to your brothers yet? The little ones I mean.” She rubs her eyes. “No, not the little ones, the younger ones. you know between archangel and fledgling? Just… ughhh.” She rests her head on the door frame. “You know what I mean.”

                  “Yes. I know what you mean. Not yet, why?”

                  “Just wondering. When they do, try to be nice. And listen to everything they have to say before responding, okay?” She looks at him pleadingly.

                  “Very well.” Though the question seems more than a little suspicious. 

                   “Okay. I’m going back to bed. I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.” She blows him a kiss and heads back to bed. What on earth has she been doing while he was away?  Has heaven asked her to interfere? He’ll ask her in the morning. “Oh, if you wanted to snuggle with me a bit when you’re done with whatever you’re doing, “Alex comes back to the doorway. “Feel free and don’t worry about waking me, okay?”

                   “Okay.”


	35. Daddy's Little Monster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci takes care of Michael  
> Michael encourages Luci's moral growth  
> Luci and the nephilim

         "What are you doing?" Michael sits up as Luci pulls some more headless bodies into the bedroom.

         "I'm going to help you recuperate."

          "How?" Michael eyes him suspiciously.

          "Someway our brothers in heaven do of course. Siphoning the power off the souls. Not all of it of course. Their heads are on the wall covered in glasss. It'll leave them enough to regenerate when we have something in place. But in the meantime, I want you fighting fit."

           "I can't take in tainted souls."

            "If only you were this fussy an eater as a human. Relax. It'll be the filter." Luci grabs a stone spear and drives it down through the piles, grooves and symbols are etched around the shaft. "Now sit still." Luci takes hold of the spear with his left hand and places his right on Michael's uninjured cheek.

            "Helel, you can't..." Michael protests and goes to remove his brother's hand when a warm nourishing energy fills and revives him. The bodies melt into a black dust that blows away into nothing. Don't do that again."

            "Don't you feel better? Your injuries are gone, see. Of course you're still missing an arm" Luci runs his hand down Michael's left arm, caressing the stump. "How did this happen?"

             "The sheild corroded and they got my arm the most of anywhere before I broke through. I had to stop the spread of the corruption. Don't worry. I burned the peice once I removed it." His completely unreassuring reassurance just makes his brother stare at him. "Helel?"

             "You... what is wrong with you?" The exclamation makes Michael laugh much to Luci's consternation. "What's so funny?"

             "You sound like Raphael yelling at Gabriel." Michael smiles.

              "I feel like I'm yelling at Gabriel. Of all the foolhardy reckless nonsense... what were you thinking trying to do this alone?" Luci scolds him looking over his clothing just to make sure nothing else is missing or still injured.

               "I was thinking that Michelle needed her mother and Raphnael just got his lover back and I couldn't endanger them again. I was being selfish when I let them try to break through to you with me. Don't tell me you didn't expect me to come for you." Michael gives a smile that's completely innappropriate for a recent amputee.

               "I didn't expect you to dismember yourself in the proccess or abandon all common sense by kicking down the front door in broad daylight.  Or is Raphael not the only angel who becomes a complete and utter idiot when he's in love." Luci challenges.

                "There was no other way. Not without a price I was not willing to pay once I was brought back to my senses. You know this, or you'd have found a way out yourself." Michael only tangently denies being an idiot in love, and carresses Luci's cheek.

                  "Still, it was kind of dumb." Luci wrinkles his nose, only tangently admitting that Michael's right. 

                  "I did it for you, you ungrateful brat." Michael chides him, still smilling, though.

                  "I know." Luci gives him akiss. "It was still dumb though."

                  "I know." Michael puts an arm around him. "Thank you."

                  "If you really wanted to show your gratitude you could switch bodies wtih me once we get out of here. I am so tired of menstruation you have no idea.  One of the perks of being in here, no messy human things. I am not looking forwards to that when I get back out." She sighs. "I really need to shave my legs. Why are humans so hairy?"

                  "Maybe for our honeymoon." Of course he'd dangle that carrot out there like that.

                  "How do you feel? Can you replace your arm? Do you have enough energy?"

                  "Not without using all the energy, you gave me. I can manage without until we met with Raphael." Michael looks down at the stump. "Maybe I can fastion a prosthetic with a sheild attatched."

                  "Are you alright otherwise? Nothing hurts? Nothing else missing?" 

                   "Nothing else missing. What about you? Are you hurt or missing anything?"

                   "Just you." Luci kisses him, holding onto him tightly. "I'm surviving, as always. Come on, let me show you the castle and our 'troops' such as they are. Now, when you 'kill' someone you have to take their head off or they regenerate. They don't regenerate as long as there are multiple peices of them that are separated from each other. Destroying the peices  causes them to respawn some where. Burying the remaining peice will cause it to break down eventually and allow them to regenerate. So far encasing them in glass seems to work best for keeping them from reforming any where. Or at least it'll let us see the breakdown." Luci lifts the staff to display the glass encased head on top.

                    "Do you have to carry that around?" Michael frowns at it.

                     "Yes. This is the mother of all monsters who distastefully calls herself Eve now. We don't want her regenerating either so it's better if I keep an eye on her at all times. I don't really have anyone I trust with it, but you, of course, and you only have one arm. You need that for your sword." Luci opens the door and heads out to the throne room.

                     "Miss Luci?" Some nephilim girl runs up, giving Michael breif nervous glances as the angel enters the room behind his brother. "T-there's a problem." 

                     "Oh?"

                     "The children in the vault won't come out. They're too afraid."

                      "And you're telling me this because...." Luci leans against her staff.

                      "I... I thought that maybe you could convince them? We don't want anyone to get hurt. They've been through enough." She gives Luci a sheepish hopeful look, shrugging her shoulder. She can't be serious. "Please?"

                      "I'm the devil, little girl..."

                      "Eceres." Michael says quietly. "Her name's Eceres."

                      "I don't care. Why would you think to come and ask me to do this? Do you not know who I am? Helping people is not my thing."

                      "Well, yes, I do know who you are. You're... you're the devil, heaven's enemy. You... tempt people to do things they shouldn't, you destroy things, seduce people. I just figured that if you can convince people to do things that are bad for them,  you can probably convice people to do things they should. Right?" The girl fiddles with her fingers, palms up in a sort of helpless manner. Luci doesn't even have to look back to know that Michael is smiling.

                       "You want me to do it, don't you?" He glancs at his sibling. Yup, he's smiling.

                       "This is your task, I am simply following your lead." Michael says innocently in the most suspicious manner. Luci turns around and just stares at him, but his expression doesn't waver.

                       "I want the nephilim to help defend the palace against the remainder of Eve's troops. " Luci demands still looking closely at Michael.

                       "I... I'll let them know."  She sounds so crestfallen and Michael is giving that look, that stupid 'I believe in you, don't let me down' not quite pleading look that makes him want to smack her.

                       "That's not a condition of my help. Just a request. I'll see what I can do." Luci pretends he's not giving into his stupid lovers stupid soft eyes and turns back to face the nephilim. "I'll be right there. I wish I still had my guitar." He sighs. "Let's see if Evie has something I can use." He heads back towards the bedroom, but Michael catches his arm and pulls him back to give him a kiss. 

                         "Thank you. For this. For sacrificing father's guitar for Raphael, for taking care of him and Alex as best you could. And trying so hard all the time. I do notice and I do appreciate it, and I love you. I beleive in you, I have faith in you, and I know you can become the wonderful angel you were meant to be." Michael says quietly, almost whispering in her ear.

                         "I really hate you some times." 

                         "I love you too." So fucking smug. Seriously he wants to smack that look right off Michael's face. "Try it."  He challenges almost playfully.

                          "That was not a prayer." Luci walks past Michael, changing his mind about searching the bedroom. They'd probably get distracted by other things. there's not time for that right now. But there is time for Luci to reach back and smack his siblings butt with his free hand as he passes. "How did you know her name anyways?" Luci tries not to let the jealousy inspired by the sudden nagging question show in his voice too much. "Do you have a history?"

                          "Yes." Michael's quiet reply stop Luci in his tracks.

                          "Is she the one?" Luci quickly turns back to face him, his tone almost accusing.

                          "The one what?" Oh he has to be playing dumb.

                          "The one you lost your virginity to."

                          "What?" He actually looks surprised at the question. "What are you... no. You are."

                          "But you said... back at the cottage... wait... Did you lie to me? Just to bother me? I'm honestly so impressed by that I'm not even mad." Luci muses.

                           "I didn't lie to you. I just let you think it was me because you assumed it was me like the jealous brat you are. It was none of your business regardless." Michael scolds.

                          "Then what's this history that's so significant you remember her damn name when you don't even always remember our siblings names."

                          "I killed her." Definitley not the answer Luci expected. 

                           "And that's why you remember her name? Did she put up an especially good fight? An especially bad one?"

                           "I remember the name of everyone I've killed." Michael walks out the door. As if that's somehow supposed to make sense.

                           "Why? Once they're dead they're not exactly important. She certainly isn't."

                           "I don't know whether to hope you understand some day or just be glad that you don't." Is his serene yet sorrowful reply.

                           "Oh, yeah, that's not condescending as hell." Luci rolls his eyes. But Michael just ignores him. "Here, hold this. I don't think children will be comforted by a severed head on a pole." 

                           "What's she doing here?" The samoan nephilim demands as Luci comes into the yard. He steps back half a step when he sees Michael, but quickly recovers.

                           "I asked her to help coax the children out." the girl, Eceres says quietly. The others just look at her in disbelief.

                           "What did you promise her?" He demands.

                           "Nothing!"

                           "Just the souls of your firstborn." Luci gives an offhanded shrug. "I'm just kidding." He smiles at their horrified looks. 'She just asked politely. Though I would appreciate it if you'd help me fight the rest of Eve's forces when they arrive. You know, if you don't want her to be brought back and hunt you down to reclaim her lost 'children'. " He makes the finger quotes and drops down into the stone chamber. "A little light?" He reaches his hand up. A small floating halo of flame appears over his head. "Cute, Mitcha."

                           "What do you want?" An older girl with a large rock in her hand demands as she stands protectively in front of the others. So many are faded and trembling, afraid if not injured.

                          "Well, that's a loaded question." Luci sits down. "A guitar for starters, or a violin if you have any intruments down here. Or are those after your time?" He looks at them. clearly they are. "Some sort of stringed instrument then?"

                          "If we give you one do you promise not to hurt us?" The girl asks.

                          "I don't intend to hurt you but I won't promise not to. If you give me one I will promise to play some music for you, though."

                          "You're an angel. Why should we give you anything?" One accuses him.

                          "I am an angel. Kind of. An archangel really. I don't have my grace so I'm practically human right now, though. One of your parents was an angel, though. So that makes us kin. Is every child in here nephilim?"

                         "No, just most of us."

                         "Well, that makes me your uncle. Are any of you injured or hurting?" The group is silent. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. None of us are. You don't have to be afraid." He kneels down making his voice as soothing as he can. "Your cousins are here to rescue from Eve. To take you back to them home safe in the sky." The children just hold onto each other silently. "Are you afraid of Eve? Is that it?"

                          "We were bad. We have to stay here." A little one says. "Or we hurt really really bad."

                          "All of you were bad?" Luci feins surprise.  "What did you do?"

                          "We tried to escape or cried and didn't behave the way she wanted us to. Or couldn't."

                          "Hmm. I see. I didn't behave either. I got locked away too. For a very long time in a very small place all by myself." 

                          "What did you do wrong?" A little one comes closer, as do a few others.

                          "Well, I... I was angry with my father because he made humanity. I thought he liked them better than me and I was jealous and got mad and hurt them and kept trying to hurt them and make him stop loving them. My brothers and I had a huge fight that turned into a war when they tried to stop me from hurting people, but I didn't stop trying until I died. I was very bad. but bad's not forever. You don't have to stay here forever."

                          "Did you say you were sorry?" A small boy pushes forwards.

                          "Kind of. To the people I care about. I'm trying to be good now, but it's very hard. I'm trying to do good things like help my neices and nephews and take them out of dark lonely places so they can be with their families who love them and won't lock them away in the earth again. Will you please help me be good again?" He holds out his hands to them. 

                          "I'll help you." One of the younger ones runs over to him, hugging him. "I don't want to be bad anymore either." several follow suit but most that try to come over are held back by the older girls.

                          "Thank you." Luci returns the hug to keep them amenable. Though none of them are obviously even half as worthwhile as Shelly. "Your cousins are up there waiting to take you with them." she points to the hole.

                           "I want Marte to come with me. She's my freind. She's a shifter." A tiny one tugs on her sleeve.

                           "I don't know. You'll have to ask them." 

                           "Mama Eve will be mad if we leave. She'll take peices of us." Another one, a boy warns them, in an almost haunted voice.

                           "I took care of Eve." Luci stands up holding the one little one who doesn't backaway at the statement. "She's not coming back for a long time."

                            "How?" One asks, as the little ones look expectantly. so many children so silent absent a present authority. it's downright unnaturral.

                           "I took her head off and encased it in glass so it couldn't dissappear. Wanna see?" Luci offers.

                           "Yes,"

                            "If you don't want to see it, close your eyes. I'll tell you when to open them again." Luci holds his hand up to the hole. "Mitcha, hand me my staff please. They need proof." The staff is handed over. The children... still looking give a few shreiks and various curses at the sight of it. Not all of them are dismayed exclamations. A couple even laugh in releif.

                             "Is that... "The girl closest to him reaches out to touch it.

                            "Yup. In glass so she can't come back unless we want her to." He raps it with his knuckles. "She can't hurt you now. Take it back/" He lifts it up out of the hole. "Shall we go?" Luci asks as Michael takes it back. "It's much nicer up there."

                             "Okay." The older girl says, prompting the others to agree.

                             "Alright, up there. I'm passing them up." Luci calls up and starts to lift the children that come forwards. they're taken away from him by various hands until only a few remain. "What's wrong? You don't want to go?" 

                              "We're not part angel. we're just monsters. "

                              "All of us are monsters in here." Luci bops the boys nose. "We have a home for you, too, okay? Come on." He waves them over. It takes a surprising amount of time before they're all up, with Michael lifting Luci out with the staff.

                              "Thank you." Michael kisses his forhead. It's then he notices not a few of the children are just staring at Michael, terrified into silence. Some are crying. Eve's children don't seem to understand why.

                              "Is that all there is then?" The samoan asks cooly.

                              "It seems to be." Luci looks back at the hole. They'll have to fill that in. Or use it as a place for the adults they capture. That could work.  "If you would send back some assistance when you've secured the children it would be appreciated."          

                              "We'll take it under consideration. Don't worry, children. We'll take you far, far away from that vile monstrosity." He picks up the two holding onto his legs and manifests his wings, flying away. The other's follow suit.

                             "Well that was rude." Luci puts his hands on his hips. Not that he's not used to being called a vile monstrosity and the like but not usually after doing something relatively nice and arguably good. Even if it was just for his Mitcha. " There's just no pleasing people."

                             "He wasn't referring to you." Michael says quietly and hands him back his staff. "Let me see what you have for troops."

                             "Sure." Luci looks at him. "Just give me a minute. I have something on my leg." He looks down to see a scruggy little were girl holding onto him and tries to shake her off to no avail.

                            "Can I stay with you?" She asks, making her eyes big and sad.

                            "No, but my Mitcha needs some hugs so you can stay with him." Luci points to Michael. The girl looks over at him. 

                           "He's scary." she rests her head against Lucy's leg.

                           "I'm not?"

                           "You're too pretty to be scary. I want to stay with you, auntie." She holds tighter. Michael's smiling at this, the asshole, thoroughly amused by it. Well the jokes on him because he is not adopting the soul of some monster child in purgatory. No fucking way.

                           "Don't you have a family?" No reply. Of course not. "Where's Ru? Ruihi!"

 

                           "No see, that leaves a large gap here." Michael points to the blueprint. "We can't defend the outer perimeter with what we have. We have to leave the outer area open and undefended and concentrate our forces in the center." 

                          "The center walls are actually ridiculously weaker though. That's how we got the outer ring. We dropped in the center from above and pushed outwards. Most of hte inner barriers are already destroyed." Luci marks off certain places with chalk. "With the nephilim we can easily cover the outer walls."

                         "They're not sending anyone back, Helel." Michael gets quiet again when he says it.

                         "Yes, they are." Luci makes  little bird marks over the towers and top of the walls. "If we put them here, then we can place my little monsters here. And if we place them here we can hold them off for a decent amount of time even without them."

                          "Helel. They are not returning. No nephilim will come to your aid as long as I am here."

                           "Yes, they will." Luci pats his shoulder and turns back to the wall. "Now, what if we blocked these enterances? just a ton of dirt and tree trunks blocking from the inside. That'll free up the sirens for my spike pit idea."

                           "Helel!" Michael snaps. "You don't understand. I have personally killed more nephilim and their children then you have humans."

                           "I know, Mitcha. But they will come back."

                           "Why do you keep saying that?"

                            "Because Eve had all the children sent to purgatory with few exceptions. There are more of them somewhere on or in the grounds. When they realize that they'll be back here like that." Luci snaps his fingers, regretting more than ever that it doesn't actually do anything anymore. "They don't want us to loose because if we do, Eve comes back and goes after the babies again. You know she was feeding off them. I think she even used some of their feathers to.. oh, for dad's sake. Michael, come on." Luci covers his eyes breifly before turning and walking over to the cushioned throne. "Here." He rips open the cushions. "They're not yours but better than monster souls right?" He lifts an angel feather fromthe mass in the filling. "Just... think of it as a transfusion." Micahel looks at it. Taking it gently in his hands just silently staring. "Mitcha?" Luci reaches up to caress his cheek. "Are you alright?"

                            "No."

                            "I killed children, Helel. Under orders, when the flood didn't get all of them, I had to... I so many, more than we had to in egypt. I don't know what else I could have done, if there was anything else. But I didn't even try. And even if it really was the right and best thing to do, it doesn't matter. I did such terrible things because I was told to. I just don't know anymore. Was i supposed to follow orders or was it some kind of test? How was I supposed to know? I don't understand any of it anymore. I never really did but I can't even pretend..."Michael holds the feather to his chest and closes his eyes unable to say anything else. There's really not anything Luci can say that would be comforting or believable, after all he doesn't exactly have any kind of moral authority. Who knows what the right thing to say even would be anyways so he just holds his Mitcha silently for as long as he can afford to.Why is it that now, when it's important and good he doesn't know what to say? They do need to get back to work,though. Michael will feel even worse if his guilt causes them to screw this up. He can probably get the angel's head back into the game at least.

                             "Well, you can't unkill them, Michael, but we can at least make the afterlife better for them like we are for Shelly. Right? Get them safe, free of pain, with freinds and family, maybe build a playground or two? It's not enough I know, but it's something right? And we have to do something to at least try to make up for what we've done, right?" Luci asks softly. Michael gives a breif silent nod. "There you go." Come on, we have to get back to planning. Absorb these and we can secure this territory and work on freeing and finding the rest of the kiddies. Sound good?"

                            "Yes."


	36. Separation Anxiety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krissy's getting cranky from Hara's absence.  
> Raphael does not approve of Gabriel's parenting style.  
> Alex has to deal with her own anxiety and Raphael's worry for his elder siblings,

               "How's it going?" Claire leans against the nearest nest.

               "Well," Gabriel sits next to her. "No one's died. Shelly's little aunties and uncles adore her. Still not sure how to make sure she doesn't destroy things when I'm not there. Raph wants to bind her until she's older but I don't know." They watch the fledglings show off their little tricks for Shelly who squeals and fidgets in delight.

                "Good lord, she's a squirmy thing." Claire shakes her head.

                "Yeah. Raph said she takes after me that way. Dean agreed, claiming Sam was a fairly stoic baby and not quite nearly as laughy screamy as Shelly. Though she seems to have charmed him anyways, the little minx." Gabriel sighs. "I wish he was that nice to me."

                "Shelly's cuter. And hasn't murdered him repeatedly in front of his brother."

                "There is that." Gabriel looks back just in time to see Shelly collide with one of her uncle's elbows face first as she tries to grab a feather from another, splitting her lip. there's a collective gasp from the fledglings as Shelly is silent for a moment, looking both shocked and dismayed.  She starts to cry just as her mother reaches her. A quick touch heals the lip and wipes the blood away, but Shelly's still crying.

                 "Hey partner." Krissy ambles over to Claire as the fledglings swarm their sister and neice to try and kiss her feelings better. unfortunately Shelly's not having it and just cries to Daddy.

                 "I'll be right back." Gabriel vanishes with the fussy sleepy girl. 

                 "She still won't tell me what's wrong, or really talk to me much. She'll talk to Alex though." Krissy scowls with a tone Claire doesn't exactly appreciate when directed towards her sister. " Maybe she wants Alex as her vessel."

                  "Krissy, you're starting to sound like a jealous girlfriend. It's getting a little weird." Claire chides her. Krissy just crosses her arms and looks away.

                  "I don't want to be here. Can we go?" She asks.

                  "Sure. I mean, I was going to play with the kiddies and spar with Gadreel, but.." Claire reluctantly straightens up.

                  "Fine. I'll go myself. There's something I feel like doing anyway." Krissy storms off. Claire gives a sigh and looks up at the empty non-sky of the abyss.

                  "Is Hara's human okay?" One of the fledglings comes up and tugs on Claire's sleeve

                  "She'll be fine." Claire smiles down at him. "Do you guys want to play ultimate frisbee?" Claire picks up a duffle bag from her feet. A cheer goes up and they crowd around her as she passes out the sashes.  "Want to play ultimate frisbee?" Claire holds out a sash to Alex Hara flies her over.

                  "No, I'm going home. I'm exhausted. Hara?"

                  "If you like." Hara looks depressed as always.

                  "Alright, but remember, no flying."  

   

                  When Alex wakes up, Courage is sleeping on her back and Raphael isn't there. He is int he kitchen though, reading a note scribbled on birch bark with charcoal.

                  "What's that?" She walks over. His face is completely blank so it's not good news.

                  "It's a letter from Michael. He's staying in purgatory with Helel. Apparently children aren't the only surprising things in purgatory. Nephilim are sent there as well." He doesn't look up.

                  "Oh my g... uh... crap." She looks at it, but it is of course in enochian. "I had no idea, they didn't mention that when I was there."

                   "I suppose they keep to themselves." Raphael concludes.

                   "How did they get this to you?" She touches the edge of the paper. "Obviously it wasn't sent through the mail."

                   "They summoned a reaper. I don't know how they convinced them, but there was one for Gabriel, too."

                    "Oh, well, Michael and Luci are okay, right? They're not staying because they're hurt or something..."

                    "I don't know if they're hurt or not. Just that they've decided to take over and set up a safe haven for when and if Shelly ever dies. It'll take a while and he said I should stay and take care of you and Shelly, and my younger siblings." Raphael touches the script. "I can't imagine he got through without injury though."

                    "They will be alright together, though. I'm sure neither of them would let the other stay for this if either of them were seriously hurt." Alex points out, taking hold of his arms.

                    "Most likely. They have a better chance together than either of them do apart. Apparently Helel's already taken Eve's castle and encased her head in glass, so they have a base of operations."  But he just keeps looking at the letter.

                    "Well, that's good, right. Right? And it does give me more time to work with the angels on this whole... relationship thing with Luci. They don't really understand what's going on with Michael, since he was released." 

                    "Neither do I." He puts the bark down. "No more than I understand what happened with any of us, how we could become what we did. How we could do so much wrong in the name of right and not even know it. I know Michael blames herself for that."

                    "They'll take care of each other. You know they will."

                    "I know." He accepts her embrace. "I'm going to the bunker. I'll be back soon." Raphael kisses her and vanishes. Alex leans on the counter with a sigh of releif, she feels incredibly guilty for. Not that she wants Michael to stay in purgatory, but he's alright and so is Luci and he's ordered Raphael to stand down for now. She didn't realize how much she worried about them trying to break into purgatory until how she no longer has to.  The one good thing about Raphael's relationship with Michael is that he listens to her. He'll listen to her about this and stay safe and she won't loose him again. Or be lost. Courage trots out and starts licking her hand.

                     "You need to go out?" she pets him, he runs to the door. Okay. It's only six in the morning. She can take him out to the dog park. Alone. With no one around. "Not the time to freak out Alex." She grabs her coat and courage bash and leads to the newly repaired elevator. Hopefully he'll come back before she has to go to class.

 

                     "They're taking over purgatory/" Castiel frowns.

                     "For my little Shelly girl." Gabriel gives her daughter a kiss before putting her back down in the grass.

                     "What are you doing? Don't put her directly on the ground." Raphael quickly quickly rescues a lady bug before it can be put in her little mouth.

                     "And she expects us to just stay here and do nothing?" Castiel frowns.

                     "They both do. Here this post script is for you." Gabriel hands him her letter. 'Son, do not let my siblings attempt to come until they are called for. If they do and any of you are injured or harmed I will take it out on your hide,  with tough love, xoxo, Daddy.' It takes all Castiel's restraint not to crumple up the sheet of bark and set it on fire.

                     "Do you see this, Gabriel?" Raphael holds out his hand, displaying the rescued lady bug.

                     "Yes, it's a lady bug,"

                     "Michele was about to eat this." 

                     "Eating a lady bug is not going to kill her, Raph."

                     "It's not exactly good for her, or the lady bug." He retorts and snaps up a large blanket underneath the child. Shelly look sup at him giving him the exact same annoyed scowl as her mother is before she just gets to her hands and knees and trots off to the edge of it climbing into the grass again.

                      "If she eats it ad doesn't like it, she won't eat it again. As long as it's not poisonous, why not let her try?" Gabriel's theory is beyond belief.

                       "I can think of several very good reasons!"

                       "Don't care. You really need to lighten up, Raph. This is what kids do. Right, Cas?" Gabriel turns to the angel who's handing Shelly a clover.

                       "What?" he looks up a bit startled. 

                        "Castiel knows how dangerous it can be to let a small child put everything into it's mouth. Don't you, Castiel?" Raphael asks pointedly. Castiel just looks at them both a second and returns his focus to the toddler as she starts to grab more and more clovers . The two archangels just cross their arms and wait for his reply, which does not come.

                        "Fine. If you're going to be a fraidy cat, and not tell Raph he's an idiot, be a fraidy cat." Gabriel snaps turning him into a kitten.

                        "Kii!" Shelly squeals and grabs the little fluffball, squeezing him tightly to her as he glares up at his elder siblings.

                        "You don't know he was afraid of disagreeing with me, Gabriel."  Raphael chides his little sister, "He's a much more sensible angel than you are."

                         "Why would he be afraid of disagreeing with me? Of the two of us who exactly has killed him?" The little brat would bring that up.

                         "Of the two of us who is constantly changing him into a cat every time he irritates them?" He counters.

                          "Babe.. "Sam sighs, walking up the hill with the bag of goat feed. "Will you please stop turning Cas into a kitten? And you can't keep making the top of the bunker green like this. It's January in Kansas. Not early may. You're going to spoil her if you keep doing things like this. She's fine playing in the snow if you bundle her up enough. We don't want her thinking it's okay to just screw with nature this way." 

                          "He's hypoallergenic this time." Babe ignores the second reproach entirely. Sam just gives her a look. "Fine, fine. When Shelly's done playing with him, I'll turn him back."

                          "That okay, Cas?" Sam looks down at the little black kitten. Kitty Cas just nuzzles Shelly's cheek and purrs at her. "I guess that's a yes. What are you two arguing about now, anyways?" he heads over to the trough.

                           "Well, it started off as a debate on whether or not to ignore Michael's edict to wait to break him and Luci out of purgatory until they take it over first, but it devolved into Raphael's obsessive need to criticize my parenting style."Gabriel glares at her brother.

                          "That would require you to have a parenting style, or do some actual parenting." Raphael retorts, crossing his arms. Gabriel just rolls her eyes and makes the chatter box sign with her hand.

                          "Wait, why is Michael taking over purgatory?"Sam stops, turning around.

                          "Because apparently nephilim go to purgatory. And they want to make sure Shelly has a safe place in case she ever dies." Gabriel explains. Sam drops the feed bag and just stares at her for a moment in horror.

                           "What?"

                           "Nephilim go to purgatory." Raphael repeats gently.

                           "I thought they went to the abyss."

                            "Yeah, me too. I want to keep trying to get in, you know to help them do it, but Raphael is insisting on following orders like a good little boy." She shoots him a dark look. The goat wanders over from the snow and starts eating the fallen feed at Sam's feet.

                           "We haven't figured out what to do about Michelle's angelic powers yet. We have to address this before we go after Michael and Helel." Raphael insists. "And we can't all abandon heaven and earth for who knows how long. We still have responsibilities. Not that I expect that to mean much of anything to you."

                           "Excuse me?"

                            "C'mon, honey." Sam moves past the goat and picks up Cas and Shelly, heading back inside as the siblings argue. "Mommy needs to let off some steam. She'll play with ou later."

                            "Mommy?" She pouts  looking back over her fathers shoulder at the quarreling angels.

                            "Shit! No, sorry sweetie. We'll be good." Gabrielle darts over abandoning the argument and takes Michelle back from her exasperated husband. "Hey Shelly girl, want to go fly?"

                            "Fie!" Shelly squeals throwing he hands up, letting Castiel escape. Mother and daughter dissappear into the ether.

                            "Raph, could you?" Sam picks up Kitty Cas and holds him out towards Raphael. The angel sighs and snaps his fingers returning the angel to his original state as well as the hilltop. "Thank you."

                            "If you'll excuse me." Castiel leaves as quickly as possible.

                            "Why do you still have that thing?" Raphael glares at the goat. Sam just shrugs and shakes his head.

                            "Michelle will go to purgatory when she dies?"  

                            "If. If she dies." Raphael corrects him. Sam sits down on the blanket, deep in thought.

                            "And they're... staying there alone, to try and make sure she had a good place to go to." Sam says after a moment, not quite a question.

                            "Yes."

                            "When they get back, he has my permission to see Shelly. Provided one of you is with him. I have to get to class. I'll give this some thought and see what we can do to help get them out, can I discuss this with some of my students?" He looks up at Raphael.

                            "If it makes you feel better. The situation is not exactly a secret." Raphael shakes his head. It's doubtful human children could be of any use in the situation. If they could why wouldn't he have asked them before?

 

                            Alex is at the dog park with courage when he returns. She's holding her arms against her body and standing in front of a small hole in the fence.

                            "Alex." He touches her shoulder. She half jumps out of her skin when he does.

                            "Oh for... don't do that." Alex takes hold of his arm and half pulls him around her like a coat. He willingly complies. "Were you able to talk some sense into Bree?"

                            "I doubt it." He looks out at courage who's digging something up out of the ground. "It's like trying to fill a sieve."

                            "You mean you have to grind the dome into the ground until the holes are stopped up with dirt first?" Alex grins, eliciting a hearty laugh from her lover.

                            "Sounds about right."

                            "Right?" Alex holds onto his arms. "Do you think, maybe you could just stay with me a bit? Until Michael calls for you again? Be home when I'm home, walk me to class, maybe just stay nearby for a little while?"

                             "Are you alright?"

                             "No, not really. I don't know. Maybe I should just suck it up and get used to you leaving and coming back again. I just... it gets harder and harder each time and so does even leaving the shelter, walking down the street... especially if you're away. I don't... I don't know." She sighs and looks down at his arms, smoothing out the sleeve of his coat.

                             "I see," He considers for a moment. "I believe I can do that. I do need to do some research to try and find an alternate plan of attack to get us into purgatory. I know Courage is a little skittish about being alone now as well. I can keep him company while you're in class." He gives her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

                            "Thank you." she sighs, relaxing her entire body. "I know how hard it is for you without Michael here. It's not as bad as when he died, but still."

                            "We haven't exactly been spending all that much time together lately. The leviathan hunts, yes, and trying to break into purgatory, but aside from that..." She knows that tone, that guilty little brother tone that she hears far too much for her liking, pretty much any time he thinks he's not doing enough for Michael.

                            "You don't have to feel guilty about having a life outside of being Michael's right hand, you know. It's good for you both to be honest. And aren't the time you do spend together now better than they were? He definitely doesn't take you for granted anymore."

                            "Maybe not, but she doesn't need me anymore either. Not that I would know if she needed me now regardless."

                            "What are you talking about? "Alex's laugh is surprisingly reassuring. "You're the first person Michael goes to about anything. Or at least the first person he wants to go to. Just because you're not devoting your every waking moment to him, and he's not asking you to, doesn't mean he no longer needs you. Neither does the fact that he's in a relationship now mena that he doesn't want you around. You know that, right?" She looks back up at him.

                             "I suppose."

                             "Geez, the two of you. I swear. It's like the core of every angel is a massive knot of insecurity wrapped in an inferiority complex. Tied with a bow of abandonment issues she shakes her head.

                              "You're one to talk." He gives her a light squeeze.

                              "I'm not afraid of being abandoned." Alex's quiet reply isn't followed up by anything and it's not the right place to ask, he knows, but it still makes him wonder. Maybe later, when she's a bit more relaxed.

 

                               "Alex?" Raphael gently strokes her hair in as she rests her head on his chest. "What are you afraid of?"

                               "Wow, that's not a creepy question." She teases, looking up at him. "What do you mean?"

                               "You said you're not afraid of being abandoned. What are you afraid of?"

                               "Oh." She rests her head back on his chest. "It's so strange not hearing a heartbeat. It's like cuddling a warm leather pillow."

                               "You don't have to tell me. I'm just curious."

                               "No, I don't know. I suppose.. I suppose I'm afraid of being trapped again. Of loving people I shouldn't, being fooled by people I trusted, being with the wrong person just... there are worse things than being alone. I've been through them." She doesn't look at him, but she does hold tighter.

                              "You think I'm the wrong person?"

                              "No, of course not. I wouldn't be with you if I did, but it's not as if I have a great track record with these things. I mean, you never think you are until the damage is done. What's worse is that I might be the wrong person. It's been so wonderful I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop."

                              "You're saying you think I'm too perfect?" Raphael raises an eyebrow.

                              "Kind of." She confesses.

                               "How exactly does that follow with you telling me I'm being an unreasonable asshole?" He asks dryly. "Because I recall you doing that several times. Not to mention a few of the things you said when we first met."

                               "Perfect doesn't mean perfect, Raph." Alex sighs. It worries him that he actually understands that he actually understands that. "It means far better than I deserve."

                               "I don't think you want to start a 'who's done the most terrible things' competition, Alex. Because if you don't think you deserve my love, I certainly don't deserve yours. I have it regardless, and you have mine and i don't care to take mine away any more than I want to loose yours. I don't care what we may or may not deserve. And if I recall, you once said that we don't get to decide whether or not we deserve love from other people in the first place. Or that anyone else deserves their love either. And thinking we shouldn't be loved, doesn't mean that we aren't or that we should reject that love. " 

                             "When did I say that?" Alex frowns.

                              "When I first started seeing you. You don't remember?"

                              "No... oh, wait. Yes, I do. You were complaining about how Michael and Gabriel could still love your brother so much after everything he's done.  I think I said that about whether or not they loved you or someone else. you didn't get to decided other people don't deserve other people's love. I didn't think I made an impression."

                              "Well, you did. Though it was mostly irritating at the time. Especially since you followed it up by calling me a jealous twit who didn't understand how much I was loved."

                              "Sorry. I guess I was never all that proffessional with you." Alex gives him a slightly embarrassed apology. "You're just so frustratingly stubborn sometimes."

                              "Alex, if I treated you the way you think you deserve to be treated, I would deserve everything your sister would do to me." He kisses her forehead.

                               "Ditto." She laughs, smiling at him. "I don't think you want to get into a 'who has the scarier big sister' contest, though."

                               "Well, given mine actually likes you..." he considers. 

                                "Oh, shut up and kiss me."


	37. Wits End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Claire has had it with Krissy and her messy reckless crankiness.  
> Alex feels the same way about Claire's attitude towards Raphael.

           "Is that... did you put an ice cream sundae on my back?" Krissy lifts her head from the pillow, blinking slightly. It actually feels good though, thanks to the overactive heater in the RV.

            "It's a banana split." Rhys licks some of the hot fudge and caramel sauce as it starts to drip down her side before it can get on the sheets.

            "On my back. Really." She looks back trying not too move too much.

            "Well it is the flattest surface available." His explanation is accompanied by the familiar sound of an aerosol can of whipped cream. 

            "Flatter than the table?"

            "There's stuff on the table."

            "You are so weird." Krissy rolls her eyes. "I suppose there are no clean bowls either. Alright, at least eat it all before I get frost bite."

            "You did say to wake you, but not with alarms, shaking you, pouring water on you, yelling or a smack to the bottom. A simple 'Krissy' wake up wasn't cutting it," He explains. "I'd have done something sexual, but doing anything to a sleeping body is just creepy, if not outright rapey. Anyways, even if you are into, it I'm not. I like my girls lively." he smacks her bottom.

            "Hey! I said no smacked bottoms!"

            "To wake you. You're awake, aren't you?"

            "No. And eating icecream off my body isn't sexual?"

            "Not when it's an entire banana split." He teases.

            "Oh for, no wonder they call you the wolf that eats the world." She snorts, but something he said earlier grabs her attention. She did ask him to wake her, though without doing any of the irritating things Claire's done to do it. "Wait, what time is it?"

            "Almost noon. I was starting to think you were in a coma."

            "Oh shit!" Krissy scrambles to her feet dropping ice cream on the sheets. "Claire's going to be back any minute! You have to get out of here. She will freak if she..."They both freeze as the door to the rv opens. Rhys immediately shrinks down into a puppy and hides in the covers

             "I hate to say it, Kris but I'm actually kind of liking this RV." Claire pushes the curtain in front of the bedroom aside to toss her jacket on the bed and freezes just as Krissy falls off the bed from Rhys sudden disappearance. "What the fuck!" She stares at he melting overturned banana split as Krissy pulls the comforter down to cover her naked body. A small wolf pup falls into her lap making her let out a yip. "What...."

              "Nothing! Nothing." She grabs the puppy, bundled up in the comforter and holds it tightly.

              "Krissy... are you high? Or drunk or.. insane?" Claire exclaims staring at the mess. "You... Why would you... okay, you know what.... " She storms out of the RV for some unknown reason. but not one to refuse a gift from the gods, Krissy scrambles to the nearest openable window, kneels on the bench and lets puppy-Rhys scramble out of the vehicle.

              "I'll call you." Rhys turns back to blow her a kiss.

              "Yeah, yeah, shoo. I'm in enough trouble without..." Krissy shoos him away with an arm out the window. He takes hold of it and licks off a smear of caramel sause and whipped cream before giving a flirty waggle of the eyebrows and taking off, in wolf form. Krissy can't help but laugh and rests her head on her arm.

               "Krissy, are you hurt?" The door to the RV opens again with Claire, no not Claire, Hara,.  And of course Krissy would be naked with her back covered in hot fudge and melted ice cream with an arm hanging out the window. "C-claire said you were going to die if I didn't..." The angel trails off before making an irritated face at something Claire says. "That's not an emergency, Claire."

               "Let me guess. I'm going to die 'because she's going to kill me?'" Krissy gives a wry grin.

               "Claire, just because she's sleeping with Fenris doesn't..." Hara closes her eyes, wincing at Claire's reaction to this. Krissy's jaw just drops.

               "What... what the hell, Hara!" Krissy exclaims. "How did you... why would you... I didn't... how the hell did you even know that and why would you fucking TELL CLAIRE!"

               "That's not what she was mad about?" Hara asks meekly shrinking down.

               "Well it is now! What are you even doing here?" Krissy furiously gets to her feet, shoving the angel back a little. The fact that she's well aware Hara's letting her do it only pisses her off more.

                "She said you were in trouble."

                "Well I'm not and even if i was what the hell could you do about it anyways? I don't need you riding to my rescue of all angels. So just go back to your library and do whatever the hell you're doing that's so damn important you have to be there all the time because I don't fucking need you!" Krissy storms back into the bedroom pulling the curtain back in place, and plops down on bed. A flash of light tells her Hara's left because of course that stupid big mouth coward would just leave like that.

                "What the hell, Chambers? I don't even know where to start." Claire pushes the curtain open again.

                "Then DON'T! Just go away and leave me alone and spare me your damn lectures and outrage! I don't need it right now."

                "Well I kind of needed the bed because I'm sore and tired and now I can't because it's covered in fucking ice-cream and syrupy junk. What the hell are you doing? sleeping with Rhys? Why?" Claire demands spreading her arms out in disbeleif.

                "Well, mostly because you ordered me not to, Naggy McBossypants." Krissy retorts, looking back at her. "What were you thinking calling Hara down here?"

                "I was thinking you've been unbearable since you two have been fighting and you need to talk to each other before I snap and kill you! There is ice cream melting on our bed. Bananas! Do you know how hard it is to get banana stains out of fabric? Not to mention the hot fudge and...and caramel sauce. You'll know I can't get that off! And why are you naked? Will you get some goddamn clothes on?" 

                 "I would but Rhys decided to wake me up by building a banana split on my back and I'm a stick mess and there's a screetching banshee blocking the shower!"

                 "Fine. I'll sleep in a tent, just get this place cleaned up by the time I get back." Claire opens the cabinet to grab the pup tent. 

                 "And here I was thinking I'd just sleep int he bed full of ice cream. What would I ever do without you and your bossy overbearing excessive micromanaging nonexistant ass!"

                 "Honestly?" Claire replies cooly. "You'd probably,no, you'd definitely be dead."

                 "What you mean as dead as you'd be without me when your inability to take care of your damn gun causes it to jam or blow up in your stupid face?"

                 "At least I can actually hit things I'm aiming at." In response to this Krissy grabs a handful of sundae and hurls it at Claire's face. "You little bitch!"

                 "Bring it, Novak!"

 

                  "You need to talk to Krissy." Alex and Raphael quickly break apart as the door to the apartment opens and slams behind an irate Claire. "I'm using your shower."

                  "You gave her a key?" Raphael asks quietly as the dirty, bruised hunter stalks across the room, into the bathroom.

                  "She's my sister." Alex shrugs, and straightens her shirt. 

                  "Out." Claire nudges courage out of the bathroom and locks the door behind her.

                  "I'll add some more potatoes." Raphael sighs and turns to take some from the pantry.

                  "You're already cooking enough for a small army, Raph, it'll be fine." Alex pats his arm, and heads to the closet to get some things out, "Can I come in?" She knocks on the door, "I have towels and clothes."

                  "Fine. Hold on." There's the sound of the door unlocking and the rattle of the shower curtain being drawn shut. "Okay. Come in." The dirty clothes are on a heap on the floor. There is quite clearly hot fudge and melted ice cream and blood all over them.

                  "So... poultergeist at a baskin robbins?" Alex sits down on the closed toilet lid.

                  "No stupid bitchy whore of a partner." Claire snaps knocking the shampoo over as she reaches for it. Alex quickly picks it up before it can spill. "Thanks."

                  "So what happened?"

                  "So, not only is she in the mood of moods because of whatever's going on with her and Hara but apparently the little shit is hooking up with your ex in our bed, something we both promised not to do, and got a whole fucking banana split all over the sheets and everythign when I asked her to clean it up she threw some at me. So obviously we had words."

                  "Meaning you started bossing her around and scolding her and had a knockdown drag out fight." Alex interprets.

                  "I told her not to fool around with him. Does she want a broken heart or disease or something?"   Serious and it's just so not appropriate. Does she even care about your feelings at all?"

                   "Um, Claire." Alex sighs. "Rhys and I broke up over a year ago. He can sleep with whoever he wants and I'm fairly sure Krissy knows all about him so she can do what she wants. It doesn't matter."

                   "You don't care? That's cold. It doesn't bother you that your friend is screwing your ex? I mean he was your first, that's fairly significant." Claire peeks out of the shower curtain, her soapy hair piled up on her head in a little bee hive.

                   "She's not my friend; she's your partner. And like i said, he can do what he wants. We're not together. I have no right to tell anyone what they can or cannot do with themselves." Alex evades the question.

                   "Totally not the same as not caring, Alex." She points out, going back under the water as some soap drips down to her eyes. 

                   "Okay, fine. I don't care." Alex snaps. "I donit care if he sleeps with krissy marries her or has fucking kids with her. I don't care what he does or with who. 

                   "Liar."

                   "Why would you tell me then? If you thought it would upset me. We're not together, I don't need to know this."Alex challenges.

                   "Right. Well, I'm not exactly sure how I'd explain the rest of it without including that detail, though. Seriously, she's just cranky as hell. I called Hara down to try and talk to her, but they just ended up arguing, well, Krissy yelled at her and she took off. You need to talk to that woman. Those two really need to get their act together before we all go insane, I swear to god."

                   "Claire..." Alex covers her face in exasperation, "I can't counsel anyone who doesn't want to be counseled. And she doesn't because she doesn't like me, especially now for some reason, and I'm not all that fond of her either."

                    "What are you talking about? You don't like Krissy? Since when?"

                    "Since always? I don't... hate her or anything, but I think she's immature and obnoxious and just generally have no use for her. I mean, sure she's okay at times, but she's your friend, not mine." Alex shrugs.

                    "Huh. Well, I still need to get those two talking again."

                    "What exactly are you going to do? Force Hara into her vessel and trap them in a ring of holy fire until they've made up?"

                    "Maybe." 

                    "Do not do that!" They hear Raphael interject from the kitchen. "It is massively irritating and uncomfortable for all involved, even without that particular emotional conflict."

                    "No one fucking asked you. So stay out of our conversation." Claire yells back.

                    "Claire!" Alex snaps. "You've had a bad day. You hate him. I get it, but will you stop being so damn rude?"

                    "Why is he listening in on our conversation anyway? That isn't rude?" She retorts.

                    "Given we're both kind of yelling to be heard over the shower, it's not exactly like he's eaves dropping, Claire. But seriously, don't actually do that. I was being sarcastic."

                     "What am I supposed to do about this mess, Alex? I like Krissy and she's usually a decent partner, but she needs her angel and she just won't listen to reason. It's driving me up the wall."

                     "Just.. butt out, back off and if she needs to talk, listen." Alex sighs. Sometimes it's too obvious that Claire and Krissy both grew up as only children.

                      "Right. Sure." Claire sighs and turns off the water. "Can I use your bed for a nap? It's not all dirty and covered in honey dust or something right?"

                     "It's fine, Claire. You know the apartments always clean and tidy when Raphael's here."

                     "Well, I'll say this much for him, he'll make you a wonderful wife someday." Claire grins.

                     "Why do you have to say it like that? Am I going to have to explain internalized misogyny to you again?" Alex crosses her arms.

                     "Oh please don't." Claire reaches out for the towel.

                     "And he's the best damn wife in existence. Are you kidding me? Unlike you and Hel. You're both lucky she has servants."

                     "Hey, I am very tidy, it's Krissy that's the slob. We just can't really cook, that's all.  Though, it is kind of funny when Hel tries. When I'm sick she gets all domestic, it's hillarious." Alex can just hear the adoring smile in Claire's voice. "Clothes?"

                     "Here. I'll take these downt ot he laundry." Alex picks up Claire's clothes. "Are you hungry? There'll be food in a bit, if you want to eat before you sleep."

                     "No, thanks." Claire steps out of the shower. "And thanks."

                      "No prob, maybe call first next time though?"

                      "Right. Sorry."

                      "Are you staying long?"

                      "No. I'm going to catch a bus to lebanon. Maybe see if I can buy back my station wagon." She pulls the parts up. "Do you have a belt? It's kind of falling down."

                      "No. I actually have an ass." Comes the irritated reply.

                      "She can use one of mine." Raphael offers.

                      "Thanks, hon." Alex hands Claire one of the belts.

                      "Don't get all cranky with me because lover boy's fattening you up like a prize bull." Claire teases taking the belt without a thank you.

                      "I'm 'cranky' because your unannounced visit interrupted happy time."

                      "Ewww." She wrinkles her nose then snickers. "Happy time?"  

                      "I'm sorry. I meant 'getting cozy with my posy'." Alex corrects herself nonchalantly.

                      "Oh that little shit! Did Krissy seriously tell you about that?"  Claire blushes.

                      "Claire, I was in your arm. I heard you." Alex reminds her.

                      "Wow, thank god I didn't, then. But still, shut up." She throws the towel at Alex's head.

                      "I'll save some dinner for you and maybe if you ask nicely, Raph will drop you off at the bunker as I assume that's where you're going." Alex offers pointedly.

                       "No. Thanks." Claire rolls her eyes and plops down on the bed. "Ohhh, I would kill for this bed."

                       "Suit yourself." Alex heads back out to the kitchen.

                       "She doesn't have to ask me nicely, Alex." Raphael checks the roast and turns the oven off.

                       "Yes, she does. I'm kind of tired of her being so ridiculously rude to you all the time." She leans against the island.

                       "I killed her father, Alex. I think I can handle her being less than polite." He turns to give her an appreciative kiss on the cheek.

                        "Not the point, Raph."

                        "That's very much the point, Alex. Now will you drop it? I hate agreeing with him on anything." Claire snaps.

                        "You know if you're sleeping in my bed and wearing my clothes and eating food he cooked, I think you can put the claws away for one damn day. Okay, Claire? Thanks." Alex puts her hands on her hips, standing at the bedroom door.

                         "Fine, I don't need a lift, though. Goodnight."

                         "Good afternoon."

                         "Alex, really, it's fine." Raphael kisses her cheek when she walks over.

                         "It bothers me, Raph."

                         "Because you love me. If you didn't, you'd hate me just as much as she does for the exact same reason. Because she's your sister and you love her. Trust me. It's okay. Don't fight over this."

                         "Sorry, she can hate you all she likes, but if she's in our home she has to at least try to be polite, or not overtly rude." Alex kisses him back.

                         "Happy time, though?" Raphael grins after a minute.

                         "I don't know." She blushes. "What would you say?"

                         "I wouldn't have. Though 'getting cozy with my posy' has a nice ring to it." He grins. Alex blurts out a laugh despite herself. "It rhymes."

                         "She will kill you if you start using that." Alex warms him. "Not to mention your little edict not to trap krissy and Hara together ina  ring of holy fire will almost certainly make her try that. You know that, right?"

                          "Yes." Raphael represses a smile. "Much to my dismay."

                          "Stop laughing at me." She smacks his arm, forcing a scowl.

                          "Do you hear me laughing?"

                          "You're laughing on the inside." Alex's accusation brings the laughter to the outside.

                          "Why don't we go up to the green house let Claire rest in quiet."

                          "Okay, but why the greenhouse?" Alex goes to get her jacket.

                          "It's the middle of winter. Where else would I get cozy with my posy?"

                          "Oh fuck you!" Claire's indignant exclamation interrupts Alex's burst of laughter.

                           "Yes, Ma'am! I'll get right on it!" Alex replies and heads out the door. Raphael snaps courage alseep, since she can't see him do it, and then goes after his lover, snatching her up and taking her to the greenhouse himself.

                           "If they're high on coca leaves again, I'm telling Jody." Claire grumbles and covers her head with the pillow. Seriously, it's like everyone's gone insane.


	38. The Art of Diplomacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci gives Michael advice on wooing Benny's rebels to the cause  
> Claire convinces Krissy and Hara to talk.

              "This is fun. Isn't it?" Luci mounts a severed head on a wooden spike. "I missed this, fighting along side you."

               "Honestly?" Michael makes a face at the pile of monster heads on a stick. "I'd rather be doing just about anything else."

               "I know," Luci tosses it into the pile. "But we're here, doing this, we're both very good at it. Why not enjoy it?" He puts a hand on Michael's arm

               "Why should I enjoy it? I'm just doing what needs to be done to Shelly's sake and trying to keep you alive while we do it."

                "Come on, Mitcha, you love fighting and you know it." He nudges his sibling.

                "I love fighting. Not killing." Michael turns and walks back inside the throne room.

                "Alright. Glaze these and add them to the pit." Luci points to the pile of heads. "And if any of my relatives show up, make sure they know we're not searching for any more children until the holding is secure. Oh, and not to interrupt me. I need to go give my pooh-bear a little honey to cheer him up." He winks to Ruihi and goes after Michael.

                "I thought he was her brother." A were whispers to the shifter.

                "Well, she is the devil." Ruihi grabs a few. "C'mohn, lets get these sealed before the next attack."

                 "Mitcha," Luci bars the door behind him. "You know you're not actually killing anyone right? We're the only living things here. We're just putting them out of the way, for a while. That's all."

                 "Is it?" Michael, holds onto his amputated arm, as close to crossing them as he can come at the moment, and starts pacing the room, not even looking to his brother.

                 "Why do you care? They're monsters and our enemies and a threat to Shelly's afterlife. They're not humans, not angles, by no stretch of the imagination are they good. Imean, come on, smiting evil's you're thing." Luci playfully punches Michael's shoulder.

                  "Most of them were human once. Humans who didn't choose to be anything else." Michael's look defies Luci to argue the point, but he knows better. Sure some asked for it, but such a small percentage it's irrelevant.

                  "The ones born monsters didn't exactly have a choice, either" Luci points out in stead.. Nephilim didn't choose to be nephilim. But they're all here because they didn't deserve me but they didn't deserve you either. What would you have us do? Shelly's the only thing that matters here." 

                  "Maybe she shouldn't be." Michael stops and sits down on the edge of the bed. "Maybe they all matter. Maybe purgatory is supposed to be probation. A place for those caught between heaven and hell. Shelly matters of course, I'm not saying she doesn't or shouldn't, but she shouldn't be the only one who does. Everyone here was cheated of both a life and death. I can at least give them a better afterlife." It's obvious that he's mostly talking about their other neices and nephews.

                 "You know this is going to make everything so much more difficult." Luci sighs, knowing that it won't make a bit of difference to his stubborn older sister.

                 "I know." Michel brushes his hair back with his hand.

                 "And I really don't give a shit about any of these being. At all. Even slightly."

                  "I know." Michael looks up at him with a look that says 'I hope you'll do this with me but even if you don't I'm going to do it anyways even if it gets me killed because I'm a big muscle bound idiot with more heart than sense'.

                  "Why do you? I mean you sent most of the nephilim here personally. You didn't seem to care about their welfare when they were alive." Michael's eyes flash at this but he doesn't rise to the bait.

                  "I don't know." He sets his lips. "I just do." Luci sighs and sits down next to him. Of course he does. Michael's not really any better with answers than their father is. Michael's just Michael and Luci's just going to have to deal with that.

                  "Alright." He sighs. "We can do that. But we'll need help. There are a group of rebels who might be willing, but they won't listen to me, because I'm the devil and they're not idiots. They're wrong in this instance of course, but for all the right reasons. Why don't you go ask Ruihi to take you to talk to them yourself. I can hold down the fort while you're off being diplomatic." Luci can't help but give a little smile at Michael's grimace at the suggestion.

                  "I'm not a diplomat, Helel." The quiet declaration is the understatement of the year.

                  "Yes, and I'm no one's salvation but that's what we're doing here now, isn't it?" Helel sighs and puts a hand on his siblings leg. Michael leans over and gives him a kiss.  Unfortunately, like all other bodily urges, his libido does absolutely nothing. It's still rather sweet and pleasant though.  "In this situation you'll do fine."  Luci stretches out his arms, making a little distance between them. Fortunately and a little ego bruisingly, the kiss wasn't an attempt at forplay. "Just be honest and be yourself. Don't try anything twisty or manipulative. You're no good at it and they won't find it as cute as I do. And definitely don't go in just giving orders and expecting them to fall into line with your idea of what needs to be done. You're not the leader of heavens army anymore and even if you were they're not part of it."

                   "I know that, Helel." Michael sounds only slightly annoyed, which is fairly good given her usual reaction to Luci correcting her on anything.

                   "You're actually going to have to answer them and explain yourself and your reasons and your positions. They'll be asking alot of questions mostly involving 'why' Why are you doing this? Why should we trust you? Why do you care?"

                    "Because it's the right thing to do." Michael says reducing a complicated answer Okay a meaningless vague statement. Luci coves his face with a deep sigh.

                    "No, Michael. That's not why."

                     "Yes it is. I thought you said to be honest. Be myself." Michael replies testily, not understanding at all. Of course he wouldn't. Why would he?

                     "Well maybe not quite so much yourself. You can't shorthand this, Mitcha. You have to actually spell it all out. Why do you think it's the right thing to do? Why do you think they deserve a better purgatory? Why now? You're problem is you don't think about these things. You just act, without examining why you are or should or shouldn't."

                     "And inciting a rebellion against all of existence was such a well reasoned, thoroughly thought out plan."

                     "Not really no. I couldn't see beyond my own pride and resentment and I can't believe you're actually bringing that up. Now. When I'm actually trying to do something good and not for my own benefit." Luci scowls at him. "Something entirely for you and Shelly."

                      "And you're speaking without consider how hurtful the things you say are. That's giving you the benefits of the doubt. Anyways, both issues are things I'm working on with Alex.

                      "Well, she's not here to help you cut through your own... issues. I am. If you don't want my help just say so." Luci crosses his arms. "You know I'm better at this than you." It's  probably going to start an outright fight, but it's the truth and he can't help but point it out.

                      "I know you are." Michael takes a breath. "I'd love your help." His small but sincere half smile is almost as disconcerting as is his response, which is the one Luci is not even slightly prepared for.

                       "Okay then... Why don't we roleplay this. I'll the leader of the rebellion, you be you. Shut up." He frowns as Michael laughs a little. "First and foremost, what do you want?"

                        "I want the rebel band to join us at the castle so we can establish a safe place for those who wish a better existence than the current standard of near constant violent warfare in purgatory."

                        "No." Luci shakes his head. Michael deflates in a slightly irritated fashion.

                        "What do you mean no?  Are you saying no or is the rebel leader saying no?" He demands.

                        "Both. They already have a place set up for that. That's the entire point of their rebellion, the freedom not to do nothing but act like violent dicks for all eternity. They don't actually call it a rebellion, but honestly who's kidding who? And that's also the wrong answer because you didn't say why. You didn't even say the what right." It's clear from Michael's expression that the angel does not comprehend what he's saying in the slightest.

                       "You didn't ask me why. And what do you mean I didn't say what I wanted right?" 

                       "The why was implied, Michael. 'What do you want' doesn't just mean 'what do you want'. It means, why are you here, what do you want, why do you want it, what do you expect from us exactly and what are you willing to do in return.  Beyond that you have to ask for their help, not just expect it or wait for them to offer their help. You don't have that kind of clout or reputation here to be able to get away with that. You definitely don't have the skill to maneuver them into thinking it's their idea. Maybe you could strong arm cooperation, but that only works as long as you're here to enforce things and you are not staying here. So unless you're willing to do things so terrible you break them into pieces and reform them into your willing adoring slaves..."

                        "I'm not." Michael interrupts him rather unnecessarily.

                        "I know that. It would defeat the purpose of the whole thing. But I'm saying this to emphasize that you need their willing cooperation built on a foundation of trust and mutually shared goals and beliefs. If you knew anything about that approach at all, you wouldn't have had so much trouble with your vessel." Luci points out.

                       "Where as you did so much better with Sam." The sarcastic response is not quite as hostile as he expected given Michael inability to take criticism.

                       "Yes, but I'm the devil, Michael. And he's a good man determined to thwart me. You were the forces of heaven and righteousness. It takes a special lack of tact and diplomacy to get a man like Dean Winchester to reject you out of hand. So this is going to take a while. Is there anything you need to get done before we really start this because we won't be doing anything else for a long time." He twists his hair back in a loose knot to get it out of the way. Michael just smiles at him instead of starting to argue for some reason."Michael, you are really starting to creep me out. Why are you smiling at me?"

                      "You're just.. shining so brightly, that's all."

                      "Oh. Only because I'm with you."  He bends over to give him a kiss. "You are my light. Now c'mon. Enough foolishness I don't want to be stuck in here any longer than we have to be."

 

                     "Krissy stretches ad grabs onto the pillow, burying her face in it as the sound of chirping birds wakes her. Why are birds up so early? And who left the window open?

                     "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey." Claire chirps with purposeful obnoxiousness. Made even worse by the fact that there is obviously no bakey in the RV. Krissy sits up and stretches pausing as she notices there is also no RV in this RV. There's a small bed in the middle of a old cracked basket ball court at the ruins of some school or something.  What's more, Saul is bound and gagged in a chair at the foot of the bed looking more than a little annoyed. That little blonde psycho is standing a few feet away with a lit match.  "You two are going to talk until you've made up or neither of you is getting out of here. Do you understand me?" She looks Krissy straight in the eye like a fucking sociopath. 

                      "What?" Krissy tries to get up but her foot is cuffed to the bedpost. "Are you fucking kidding me? Have you lost your damn mind, Novak! What the hell's wrong with you?"

                      "I'll check in on you two in an hour." Claire drops the match igniting a ring of holy fire around the two, and walks back to the RV.

                      "I'm telling your dad's on you, you brat!"  She yells after her and moves over to Saul so she can remove his gag. "And what does she think we need to talk about?"

                      "I don't know. I think you've made your feelings very clear." the pouty sullen tenor of the voice is definitely not Saul's.

                      "Oh, Hara. How did... never mind. Hold on let me get us out of these things." she looks around for anything she can use as a lock pick. 

                      "They're both warded, you need a key. I told her you don't want to talk to me, but Saul turned on me." She scowls.

                      "It's attached to the bed post. Can you kick the bed? Maybe break where it's chained to?" Krissy asks.

                      "I'll try." Hara shuffles back a little and kicks the frame. The post cracks but so does the back leg of the chair making the angel fall backwards precariously close to the flames before Krissy catches her by the shirt.

                      "I am so going to kick that girls ass when I get out of here, you have no idea." she pulls Hara forwards onto the bed in a very undignified position, still attached to the chair. " Hold on." Krissy finishes breaking the post off and slips the chain off and works on untying Hara's torso from the chair. If course the handcuffs would be threaded through the stiles of the back of the chair so she has to break those off to get the chair off of the angel. "Alright. Okay." She carefully puts the pieces down in the bare area beside the bed so they don't catch fire. "You okay? Nothing got singed?" Krissy checks Hara's hair and the angel tries to get into a more dignified position than the napping toddler.

                       "No. Nothing got singed. Thank you." Hara sighs and looks away.

                       "Hara, I'm sorry I yelled at you the other day." Krissy adjusts the angel's shirt a little. "And I'm sorry my partner has gone insane and trapped us here. I'll get us out. I promise."

                       "I didn't mean to tell on you. I really didn't. I didn't know it was the ice cream she was so mad about. That really doesn't seem like enough of a reason." Hara looks down.

                       "Thank you. And yeah, she gets extra rigidly punitive the longer she's away from Hel. The ice cream was all Rhys' fault honestly though. Do you think you can squidge your arms down over your butt and get them forwards? Here let me help." Krissy tugs on Hara's arms pulling to help the angel squeeze her body through them and brings them forwards.

                       "Thank you,but don't do that when it's just Saul. You'd seriously injure him." Hara stretches her arms forwards before giving Krissy a shy glance. "Are you in love with Rhys now?"

                       "No." Krissy shrugs uncomfortably. "We're just fooling around. A girl has needs you know."

                       "I know. You're a healthy young woman with a healthy reproduction system." Hara says innocently without a hint of reproach that Krissy feels anyways.

                       "I do like him. He's fun." The young woman says defensively. "But it's not anything. Neither of us wants anything. It's just... you know, freinds with benefits. But less friends, more benefits."

                       "I'm not condemning or judging you, Krissy." Hara says gently. "As long as you're willing or not hurting anyone, you're perfectly free to do what you like with your body. I just want you to be happy."

                       "How can I be happy when you're never here?" Krissy blurts out despite herself. Hara just looks at her blankly, a little startled, though she shouldn't be even if she is the angel of low self esteem. "You never come unless there's trouble and you always leave so fast and I'm always making you angry or upset." 

                       "I'm sorry." Of course she would apologize now that she's not mad.

                       "Don't be sorry, just tell me the truth. If you don't want to be my angel just say so. I'll just.. I'll just call someone else if I need an angel." Krissy rubs the arm uncomfortably.

                       "I want to be your angel. But you never call me unless there's trouble and you're always mad at me, too. And it's just so painful because I just can't talk to you. Even if I tried you'll just end up hating me again and I can't...."

                        "Why on earth would I hate you? I have never hated you Hara. Just because I get annoyed or loose my temper doesn't mean I hate you. How could I hate you? You're the sweetest little angelic woobie I've ever met. I could never hate you. You could break my heart but you couldn't make me hate you." the fact that she thinks she means it hurts as much as the fact Hara knows it isn't true. Alex thinks if she just tells Krissy it'll be alright, but it won't. Of course it's not as if it's alright now. At least if she tells Krissy the truth, it'll be over and done with.

                        "I couldn't save him." Hara confesses before she looses her nerve. "I tried everything. I did, but I couldn't bring him back."

                        "Couldn't save who?" Krissy frowns at this.

                         "Krissy jr. And you hated me for it and then my siblings accidentally erased  me from almost everyone and you didn't remember. But I'm on probation for it and even if they don't remember I'm following it to the letter. So I can't come unless you call for me. And I have to leave if you tell me to." Hara confesses which makes more sense and slightly irritates Krissy at the same time.  She couldn't have just told her that or something like that?

                         "What did you do? Bree's pretty lax it seems. I mean even the devil is on probation. What could you possibly do to merit it. And what do you mean you were erased? Please. I wish you would just tell me everything. And how could you have possibly even tried to save my son. We didn't even know each other then." Krissy shakes her head.

                         "Yes, we did." Hara's voice is so quiet Krissy can barely hear him. "I was there when you had him. I was your birthing partner. I took classes with Aiden and Thanatos. I... I've been your angel since before Gabriel formed the abyss." Hara can't even meet Krissy's eyes, which doesn't matter at the moment because Krissy's too stunned to really focus on anything.

                         "W-what?"

                        "We were together twice as long as you thought, and it's just been so hard. I'm sorry i lied but I was so afraid of having you hate me again. And I just... I\m sorry. I deceived you and just let myself stay forgotten again." Hara buries her face in her hands, trying hard not to start crying.

                        "Shhh...." Krissy holds the angel close. "It wasn't your fault, Hara. Chrys' death wasn't your fault. I couldn't get him back either and that you tried so hard you got put on probation.... Whatever you did, how could I possibly say you should have done more?"

                         "But... but you said.." Hara sniffs not wanting to repeat it.             

                         "Hara... I don't know what I said, but I do remember I was in a bad place. And If it was anything like what I said to Aiden and Jo, I owe you so many apologies. You didn't deserve that. I know you didn't. You just... take everything, whether you deserve it or not and I hate that. But I still... I'm sorry, Hara. Please just talk to me. Why did everyone forget you? Can we fix it?"

                        "I don't know. The thule found out about heavens library and how I have a copy of everything ever written down and kidnapped Saul and tried to make him call for me and trap me like Claire did. And they tried to take you to use you to make me do what they wanted. Michael and Gabriel rescued him and killed all the ones there, but more of them knew and found one of my feathers and was going to summon and trap me but Claire destroyed it. Then my brother's found a spell to make them forget about me completely so they'd stop trying. but it erased all knowledge of me from every human mind and the mind of every angel possessing a human except me and Saul, kind of. He knew who I was but couldn't remember many details. And I was just starting to really have freinds and brothers."

                        "A spell, so there's a counter spell, right?"

                        "Yes, but that'll put Saul and you back in danger again and I don't want that." Hara straightens up. "And... and now I've done something maybe even worse. If only in my brother's eyes."

                       "What?" Krissy asks gently.

                       "I saved him. He was dying and I saved his life."

                       "Wh- who?" Krissy frowns. Who could she have possibly saved that would anger his brother's so much that he's afraid of them finding out. "Dean? No, they'd be glad that Castiel didn't have to almost destroy the world again to get him back. Luci?"  the whole pronoun issues with the archangels gets very confusing. 

                       "Yes.And I know it was a good thing but it's also a bad thing and I just.."

                       "Well, Hara. If you hadn't and she's died, then she wouldn't have been there to save Raphael in the abyss and we wouldn't have gotten Alex back. At the very least that's a good thing that came of you saving her. How did you save her anyways?"

                        "Oh, well, she had a really bad concussion from the car accident she had in Claire station wagon when she comes to get us. I mean he, Luci pretty consitantly identifies as male. He kind of almost died of it the next morning."

                         "Wait, what? Luci got hurt saving us? Crap, now I feel bad for that whole throwing condoms full of spagghettios at her thing. Anyways if Raphael can heal him, there should be no reason why you shouldn't. I know you still love your brother, even after everything he's done. So does Bree and he killed her once."

                        "He did give me the library. If he hadn't I'd have been no good to heaven at all. Alex says that it's that question of whether it's better to do the right thing for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons. Obviously it's best to do the right thing for the right reason, but we can't always know which is which. She said that personally she thinks in the long term it's better to do things for the right reasons wether they turn out to be the right things or not, because if you're doing things for the right reasons and trying to do the right thing, you'll do the right thing for the right reason far more of then than someone would do the right thing for the wrong reasons.  Which kind of makes sense, but I still think my siblings would be angry with me for doing it." Hara adjusts her legs a little.

                        "Not Michael and Bree. I'm fairly sure they'll be properly grateful. Alex seems to be a fan of yours now as well." Krissy tried not to sound too jealous. "I can't help but notice you two have been getting awful cozy."

                       "She's my therapist. Michael ordered me into therapy."

                       "I'm your freind. Your vessel. It doesn't really matter if she hates me or think I did something terrible. At least not nearly as much as if you did. That makes it easier to say something sometimes. You're just so important to me. I think you're the most wonderful human in the history of humans. I just want to be with you even if I need to take another vessel to do it, even though I'd rather share a body with you. I like Saul and everything but I don't think he should live forever." Krissy can't help but snicker as Hara looks a little abashed, probably as Saul takes offense to this. "I'm sorry, but you're nice and smart and all but all you really do is gamble and drink and watch tv and have sex with prostitutes. The world isn't exactly made better by you being in it."

                        "Owch." Krissy grins. 

                        "Saul says to just shut up and kiss you and tell you I love you, so I will." This takes Krissy by surprise until Hara kisses her cheek. "I love you. I think you're the most wonderful human being ever created. I love you so much that sometimes I just don't know what to do. No, Saul, I don't want to do that.... because I never have. What do you mean how do I know? You know you don't want to do something when you don't want to do something.... I can love her without wanting to have sex with her. Can't I?" Hara looks to Krissy uncertainly.

                         "Yes. I love you too, Hara. I think you're the most wonderful adorable angel of all angels and even though I want you with me always, I don't want to have sex with you either. Though right now I'm really just hoping Claire comes back soon." Krissy looks over to the RV in the distance. "Because I REALLY HAVE TO PEE, CLAIRE!" She yells as loudly as she can.

                        "There is a little drainage thing in ground next to the bed." Hara points out. 

                        "Yeah, even if I did get that desperate though, there's no toilet paper. I'm not a man. I can't just give it a shake and put it away. If anything that'd make things messier." Krissy looks down at the little drain half covered in leaves so dirty she'd probably catch several diseases if she even just seriously considered using one of those yucky things. But she really fricking has to go. "You know what? Screw it. I'm using her pillow case. Why do I even have her pillow?" Krissy strips the soft squished thing of it's case.

                         "Saul says you were kind of wrapped around it very tightly when he got here."

                         "Alright, turn around. I can't believe she's making me do this." Krissy mutters. "Now, if you love me you won't stop me from beating that woman to a pulp as soon as we get out of here. Which actually...." Krissy holds the pillow case so it's half touching the ground. "If this is as sacriligious as it feels. Let me apologize in advance and a thousand times during." She looks up to the heavens as she pulls up her pants. Much to her chagrin, the mostly wet pillowcase easily stamps out a good section of the holy fire and she and Hara can run out. "Wait here, I'll just go murder her real quick and then search her body for the key. Then you're taking me to confession."


	39. Control Yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raphael and Gabriel fight over Shelly  
> Krissy and Claire have no respect for Dean  
> Hara tried very hard not to be a snitch.  
> Raphael reaches his limit with Claire.

                    "We're not binding my baby." Gabriel holds Shelly close. "I am not leaving her defenseles.."

                     "We could try to remove her grace instead." Raphael suggests.

                     "What part of I'm not leaving my baby defenseless do you not understand?"

                      "The part where she almost destroyed the bunker in your absence by shaking the tectonic plates enough to cause a minor localized earthquake having a tantrum over cupcakes." Raphael retorts, defying her to argue this very salient point.

                      "Yeah, I know, but to be fair, if I asked for cake and got a plain unfrosted mini vanilla cupcake, there would be serious carnage." Raphael is not impressed with her defence. probably because he doesn't really have a sweet tooth.

                       "We are trying to keep her from being a danger to herself and humanity, Gabriel. She is more powerful than any nephilim before her and you know the damage they can cause. We're all just recovering from Helel's jealous tantrums, we don't need to worry about a growing toddler frustrated by her very humanity."

                       "That's why we're here so we can handle the issues when they arise. My Shelly is a sweetie. You don't preemptively punish someone for something they might do, Raphael."

                       "It's not a punishment! Do you consider putting training wheels on a bike punishment?"

                       "This isn't training wheels. This is encasing the bike in cement and throwing it off a pier!"

                       "Does it bother either of you at all that Shelly's so used to you two fighting like this that she's sleeping through it like it was a lullabye." Dean, of course, has to butt in.

                        "We're not going to fight without blocking the sound from disturbing her, Winchester." Raphael gives him a withering glare.

                        "Oh, well, think you could do that for the rest of us? What are you fighting about this time, any ways?" The nosy bastard asks. Well, maybe he'll pay attention

                        "Raphael just doesn't understand the difference between an uncle and a parent.." Gabriel turns her head away, snubbing him.

                        "All I'm suggesting is finding a way to bind her until she's older and more mature and can be taught to use them more safely." Raphael points out.

                        "Nobody bound us when we were learning to use our grace." Gabriel retorts irrationally.

                        "We were the only things in existence! And we were confined to heaven. Neither did any of us have any other responsibilities to tend to at ths same time."

                         "And how exactly will treating her like she's a danger to everyone help? How do you think that'll make her feel? She is not some monster, Raphael. And if you're going to treat her like one, then she doesn't need you in her life." Gabriel snaps angrily. Raphael waits a moment for her to realize what she said and apologize but she doesn't.

                         "I'm not treating her like a monster. I'm treating her like a human infant with powers she's not yet even capable of controlling. Which she is. As far how she'll feel about that I imagine it's better than she'd feel if she accidentally killed her father  in one of her uncontrolled tantrums. Think about that." Raphael disappears. Gabriel doesn't say anything, she just rests her head against her daughter's. 

                        "As odd as it is to find myself defending that particular angel." Dean rubs the back of his neck. "I don't think he meant what you think he did. You know he adores her and doesn't think she's evil or a monster. What's so bad about binding her abilities?" Gabriel debates whether or not to just tell him to go screw himself. But honestly it's better that he knows before he does something stupid like bind her himself.

                        "Because it's a complete metaphysical barrier between her and the outside world. Her grace is contained, but so is everyone else's power kept from her.  She can't be healed or helped. she'd be made more vulnerable than any other human in existance. Being our daughter is already a dangerous thing on it's own. I won't make her helpless." Gabriel sits down on the couch. "Especially when I'm not here. "

                         "You know we'd never let anything happen to her, right?" Dean sits on the opposite arm of the couch, trying his best to reassure him. Unfortunately she knows him and his history and is not comforted by the assertion in the least.

                          "Oh really?" She gives him a steady look. "And how many relatives have you been able to keep alive, Dean? How many have actually been safer because of you that you want me to trust you with her welfare." Gabriel disappears with the child as Dean cringes from the statements that hit home far too deeply for comfort.

                         A couple enraged shrieks startle him out of his pain and he turns to see Claire and Krissy fighting on the middle of the floor just absolutely whaling into each other. 

                         "What the hell?" He quickly gets up and pulls Krissy off the equally bruised and bleeding hunter.

                         "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. "Krissy's angel apologizes appearing with one of his siblings.

                         "She wouldn't tell me which one was responsible for this or I'd have done more than just bring them here." He frowns turning Hara around to reveal a severe burn on the back of the angel's neck. Though the handcuffs don't escape Dean's notice.  "Where is Raphael? He was here last I knew."

                        "I'm not sure. He and Gabriel had a fight and he took off what the hell happened?" 

                         "She won't tell me that either. I'm going to look for him. Do not let them leave." The angel instructs.

                         "Thank you, Nathan." Hara says meekly.

                         "You said you didn't get burned!" Krissy looks at Hara with dismay. 

                         "I didn't want to upset you."

                         "In case you haven't figured it out yet, lying to and keeping things like this from me upset me!" Krissy snaps.

                         "Alright, all of you, sit down. Right now." Dean points to the sofa and loveseat. Hara immediately complies. 

                         "Where's the damn key. Claire." Krissy ignores him.

                         "Fuck you, Chambers!" Claire gets to her feet a bit unsteadily and storms off down the hall towards one of the bathrooms.

                          "Claire...."

                         "Hara, I'll be right back." Krissy goes down the other corridor. "Do not move." Dean just throws his hands up in the air in disbelief and shakes his head. Most hunters still respect him and Sam, at least a little bit. Why the hell can't the girls? 

                          "Alright. You, angel..." He points to Hara who looks like a frightened puppy. "You're still here. What the hell's going on?"

                          "Oh please don't make me tell. Krissy hates it when I tell things she doesn't want told."

                           "Really? Am I the enemy now?" Dean leans over the timid angel who shrinks down a bit. Why Krissy wants an angel like this... "Are you about to cry? What the hell kind of soldier are you? Seriously."

                          "A bad one." Hara looks down. "Please don't yell at me."

                          "Dean, please do not intimidate the librarian." Raphael appears, arms crossed, on the other side of Hara making the angel shrink down even further. "I will attend to this matter."

                          "You? .... You know what? Sure." Dean gives him a smile that Raphael's not sure he likes. "You handle this. If you need me, I'll be in the garage. Good luck."  He salutes the angel who's growing more and more regretful of his insistance on taking command of the situation.  He doesn't like the tone of Dean's regards. It's fairly suspicious that the Winchester would drop anything in truth.

                         "Harahel, what happened? And why are you shackled?"

                          "I don't want to say." She looks up at him timidly.

                         "Let me rephrase that. Tell me what happened. Now."

 

                        Claire looks in the mirror. Hopefully that little ungrateful brat Krissy at least as bruised as she is. She would go for the face. And it was Krissy's own damn fault. If she would have just talked to the damn angel, Claire wouldn't have had to do this. She ties the belt around Dean's shirt and takes her clothes to the laundry room. Krissy's there in one of Bree's shirt's that for... sizes to small and thus so tight and small on her it's like it was shrink wrapped.

                         "Really?" Claire looks at her and the skin tight miniskirt that was neither meant to be skin tight nor mini.

                         "If I can give her husband the marrow from my bones, I think she can lend me an outfit while I wash my clothes." Krissy replies cooly. "Claire just shakes her head and heads back out to the living room. And of course, Raphael is there, talking to Harahel.

                          "Ms. Novak. Explain yourself." He turns to her, clearly furious.

                          "I told you, we were just trying to..." Hara... no, her other vessel Saul speaks up.

                          "You be quiet. I'm not happy with you either." Raphael breifly glances back at him.

                          "Oh, well, you're unhappy with me. Boohoo." Claire rolls her eyes. Raphael is in front of her in a heart beat.

                          "Let me make one thing clear to you." He grabs the collar of her shirt. "My tolerance of your abuse does not extend any further than my own person. If you ever behave in such a manner to any of my younger siblings again, I will inflict upon you any and every injury and indignity they endure. Do we understand each other?" Claire gives a slow nod. "Good. Now where is the key to those shackles?"

                          "In my oh crap.. Hold on." Claire runs back to the laundry room.

                          "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Hara." Krissy protests crosses her arms. "And I already handled this situation with Claire, so.."

                          "Then why is my sister burned and bound?" He taps her forehead, healing her injuries.

                           "She didn't tell me she got burned. And I was going to get the key from Claire as soon as I was done making sure she understood not to do anything like this again. I would have gotten it the first thing but Hara wouldn't have let me have my little heart to heart with my partner if I did. She's way too nice. Not that she did anyways, she just called one of her brothers to drop us off at the feet of the scariest human she knew to break up the fight." Krissy gives a little smile. Hara keeps forgetting that they don't share quiet the same view of Dean as she does.

                           "And why didn't she just have Nathan separate you?" Raphael turns back to Hara and her vessel.

                            "She didn't want anyone to get more hurt than they were at that point. Besides when two girls get to the point of exchanging blows, it's best for all involved to just stay out of it. Even if they aren't hunters. "Saul sighs. "Okay, this hurts like hell,, so I'm going to let Hara back behind the wheel since she seems to be able to handle it better.

                             "Holy fire burns hurt angels much more than they do humans. Excuse me while I harvest some Aloe and tilapia skin." Raphael blips out.

                             "Hara's much more of a badass than she thinks she is." Krissy gives a proud smile. "Can you please stay up front, Saul?"

                             "Alright. Just let me get a better look at that outfit and I'll be fine." He tilts his head slightly to looks at her.

                             "I'll give you a damn strip tease if that's what it takes." She walks slowly over. Saul knows better than to take her up on it even if it wasn't shrink wrapped on so tightly that she'd probably fall over trying to remove the damn things. Of course seeing her clumsily struggle to pry herself out of that seems so funny he almost wants to ask anyway. "Though it's your own damn fault for going along with this."

                             "At least you two finally made up. I still think you need to just kiss and accept that you're in love with each other. Not just 'oh we're such good freinds I love her so much' like, love love. Seriously."

                           "I'm not the love-loving kind, Saul." Krissy turns away, arms crossed as Raphael returns and squeezes out some aloe onto the burn, bandaging it with what looks like a few fish skins. 

                           "Oh,. that's so much better." Saul sighs.

                           "I think it fell out when we were fighting in the RV." Claire walks sheepishly back in. "Could you?" she looks to Raphael who nods and vanishes with her again.

                           "You know, this isn't even the first time you've forgotten her." Saul informs Krissy. "Not that I blame you, you did it to save her sister Miti. But if you only could remember... you know you died for her, Krissy. She died for you. She would do anything for you. Did she tell you what she tried to do? That got her in trouble and put on probation like this? I was trying to give you two privacy."

                         "No, actually. I think she steered clear of that subject. She's getting devious." Krissy scowls, shaking her head.

                         "She tried to trade herself to a demon to get him to bring Chrysander back. Yeah, I had a few things to say about that." Saul tries not to sound too annoyed, though he is, given she was using him as a vessel at the time and completely failed to procure his own safety before making that deal. He almost wanted to toss her out but then he'd have been alone with a demon he just screwed over. "She deserves a hell of alot better than you've been giving her, Krissy. Probably better than I've given her but she's not so fond of me. No, shush." He says suddenly, obviously talking to Hara. "No, you stay there. I'm fine. It's fine. Well it seems to me it's time for me to be the tattle tale, so... Yeah, I know sweetie. You are right though. The world's not a better place for my being in it. Hosting you is probably the only good thing I've ever done. So don't even worry about it. I know what I am." Saul gives a sigh and looks down at his cuffed hands.

                         "Saul." Krissy walks slowly over to him and awkwardly kneels down on the floor, somehow without falling over. "If you're nothing more than a gambling whoremonger, it's not because you couldn't be anything else. You're not a completely bad person, Saul. You're not a stupid talentless coward either."

                        "That shirt or lack thereof is the only thing keeping me from being outright suicidal thanks to that wonderful little pep talk of yours." Saul glances up slightly. "What?" He  lifts his head slightly, before wincing and straightening his neck out again. "Ow... and we are not going into couple's therapy. I don't care how much our arguing distresses you, Hara."

                         "Oh, Hara, sweetie." Krissy sighs, putting a hand on Saul's shoulder. "Just because mommy and daddy don't love each other anymore doesn't mean we don't love you."

                         "She's not amused." Saul grins at her. "How can you still breathe in that thing?"

                          "My question is, how have the seams not burst yet." Claire runs over and unlocks the shackles.

                          "Finally." Saul sighs. "Can someone take care of my neck now? I'm going to start crying soon and won't be able to properly stare at Krissy's cleavage anymore."

                         "I can't heal Holy fire burns. I will have to surgically remove the injured flesh and then regrow it entirely." Raphael explains.

                         'There had better be some sort on anaesthetic involved or little Hara's coming up for this. I don't care if it is my fault. She never said she was going to use holy fire." Saul  glares at Claire accusingly.

                          "I will procure some cocaine." 

                          "Excuse me?" Saul straightens up and begins cursing. 

                          "No, it's a great topical anaesthetic."  Krissy reassured him.

                          "How do you know this? And couldn't he just..."

                          "He's not happy with us remember? He can be kind of a punitive ass." Claire informs him. "Anyways I'm going to go apologize to Dean. I'll be right back." She heads out to the garage leaving the three of them alone again.

                          "I can't believe you knew that every one else had forgotten her and didn't say anything to anyone!' Krissy smacks his hand.

                          "Okay, first of all, her siblings always forget about her existence, she keeps herself that isolated in her library. And i didn't know it was everyone. I just thought you had blocked her out like you had blocked out Krissy Jr. for that time and she made me promise not to say anything. It was a long time before I was capable of asking questions about much of anything to be honest. She's getting a lot better at deceit. You're a bad influence on her. Seriously. Lying, drinking, demon deals, book burning. I don't think you understand just how much you mean to her. How much influence you have. And honestly I kind of think you do tend to take advantage of just how much she's willing to do for you or at your say so. Which is almost anything." Saul chides her. Krissy just crosses her arms, another impressive feat in that mini shirt, and looks over to Claire. The hunter's already gone but she'd probably say Hara doesn't do enough honestly which is equally bullshit.

                          "I'd do almost anything for her. She never asks for anything." Krissy protests.

                          "She's not going to, Krissy. She would rather die than make herself a burden. Yes, she's been irritable lately but you have no idea how terrified she is of loosing your affection, of being alone again. Even up in heaven. Being alone in  a crowd is the worst sort of lonliness you know that. Besides she's an angel, they don't exactly thrive in solitude." Saul rests his face in his hands, the words feeling a little too much like a confession.

                          "Neither do people." Krissy tries to get up but can't quite manage it.

                          "Here." Claire helps her up and hands her a jumpsuit. "I don't understand why you have to vamp it up like this all the damn time now." She complains.

                          "Oh, I'm sorry, is my clothing offending your moral sensiblities? I'm such a  whore, I know. Two whole lovers. Man. Maybe if I covered up in a gazillion layers all the time I can fuck dozens of people and still claim the moral high ground." Krissy snaps and storms off. Claire just flushes slightly. 

                         "Hara, you in there?" She raps on  Saul's head.

                         "What do you think?"

                         "Can she hear me?"

                         "Yes, she can hear you."

                         "Okay, well, sorry I went so extreme. I didn't mean for you to get hurt, honestly. I just wanted Krissy to suck it up and make up with you and she's a little escape artist, you know that. I'm really sorry. I'm um, I'm going to go apologize to Krissy now, and smack her for calling me a whore." Claire points back to where her partner stormed off to.

                         "You do that." Saul gives her a curt smile. He is never letting her talk him into anything again, though, that's for damn sure. 


	40. Days of Our Afterlives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael is not a diplomat  
> Krissy braves her ex boyfreind to search for the key to her memories of Harahel  
> Gabriel and Raphael conspire together.

      “I don’t know. Why everybody keeps saying I’m the leader.”  Benny sighs, covering his eyes.

      “Because you’re the one who orders everyone around and organizes things? “Ruihi leans on the door frame.

       “Shut up Rui. What do you want?” Benny turns to Michael. “We are not rebels. We just don’t want to spend eternity caught between two warring siblings. We found peace here of sorts and we’d like to keep it that way.”

        “So you’re content to let the souls of children languish in the hands of the mother of all monsters?” Michael replies cooly. “To be confined in the earth and fed off when they displease her.”

       “Of course not, but Eve’s fortress is impregnable.” Benny frowns at the angel, adjusting his cap.

       “My brother has already taken control of it.” Michael looks him directly in his surprised eyes. “It’s our fortress now.”

       “So the devil is not is control of most of purgatory is what you’re saying. I have no interest in waging war against him either.”

       “Setting camp in a borate infused mine won’t protect you from him should he be so inclined to do so.” Michael retorts, feeling that the attempted diplomacy is not going well. Benny just stares at him.

       “A what?”

       “The stone in your quarry. It’s largely borate used in borax. I assumed that was why you built your residence of it. If you could spare some it would greatly aid in our defense. And the sooner we secure a safe dominion for our nieces and nephews, the sooner my brother and I leave the place.”

         “You want to carve a space for the nephilim.” Benny starts to pace.

         “And those of you who wish to exist as you say you do, free of Eve’s grasp and the leviathan. They have their space, you have yours. If you wish to aid us, you know where we are. At the very least we could use assistance in locating the children. WE have only found one dark crowded underground vault. And we will have little time to find them all until the fighting is over.”

          “I’ll let everyone know their options.” Benny grudgingly informs the angel. “You can take as much borate as you need. It replenishes overnight, so… “Benny gestures with his hand, and looks at his arm. “You can’t regrow that?”

          “No.” Michael says simply. “Not yet.”

          “Look, if.. if you have time Ekatarina is a brilliant wood worker. Wait while I speak to everyone and I’ll see if she can help you with a prosthetic or… something.”

           “I’ll wait for you to speak to your people.” Michael looks at the severed limb. The price of his self indulgence. He should have restored his grace long ago. At least when he decided to spend some time as a human.

           “Ruihi take him to Ekatarina, then come back to see me, we need to have a few words.”

            “I don’t know about this.’ Gabriel looks at the tiny bracelets engraved with the binding wards. They’re hinged with a ‘lock’ of a few charms.

            “Do you have a better idea?” Raphael asks. She looks at them and then at the additional pairs increasing in size. “Sam and Dean can take them off and put them on. In case anything happens to us. These should last until she’s an adult. “Raphael keeps his voice gentle. encouraging her. “You don’t have to go with me. You can stay. You should stay, take care of Michelle and heaven and the earth.”

             “And let you go by yourself? You’ll get killed or worse. And then Miqa will kill me or worse. And Alex… I can’t let you do that ot Alex.” Gabriel protests.

             “Don’t forget Claire.” Raphael can’t help but mention her. “She would dance in the street. I’m sure several others would as well.”

             “Yeah, I’m sure Dean wouldn’t shed any tears for me. And I know that the two of us won’t be any better than before but we can at least pretend that it’s not a suicide mission if we’re together.” Gabriel nudges him. “I’m not abandoning you again, Raph. Don’t abandon me.” Raphael just gives his little sister a hug and kisses her forehead. “Alright. Alright. We’ll use the bracelets. I’ll talk to Sam.” Gabriel picks one up and shakes it a little. “You made her my laughter.” She grins at her big brother who shrugs.

             “Or as close as I could. She should have something of you. Just in case.”

             “Yeah.” Gabrielle looks it over. “I’ll do something about that. Go spend time with Alex. Maybe see about leaving her with a little parting gift? Have a quick little wedding? She’ll make a lovely war bride.” She teases. Raphael just gives her a steady unamused look. “If you love without me. You will regret it.” With that vague threat she takes the bracelet and vanishes.

            “Are you sure you want to do this?’ Rhys looks over to Krissy as they stand at the entrance to Hades.

            “Yeah… How am I going to face him/’ Krissy rubs her arms nervously.

            “Who says you have to face him?” Rhys suggests.

            “Well, I need to trek through his brother’s room so yeah. I kind of have to.” Krissy takes a deep breath and heads down. “You don’t have to come, you know.”

            “I know, but Hel’s pissed and she won’t look for me here in Hades.”

            “Well, well, well, look who’s come to pay a visit.” Persephone looks up from her tea with Charon as the two approach the ferry. “I hope you’re here to see Nat, he’s been depressed won’t leave his brother’s room. I have no idea what to hope you’re here for.” She looks disdainfully at Rhys who gives a curt smile.

              “I’m just here for moral support.” He says cooly.

              “And to hide from his sister.” Krissy grins at her lover.

              “Oh, well, you’re welcome then. Are you two partners now? I assume since my Claire isn’t with you she has been unfortunately, domesticated.”

              “She’s busy.” Krissy says shortly. “But thank you for letting us visit. Do you mind if I take Berry out for a walk?”

               “You can try.” Persephone raises an eyebrow and waves the two across the Ascheron.

               “Was that firebird on Charon’s shoulder?” Rhys looks back.

               “It was his psychopomp day gift. Remember?”

               “Oh, right. Sorry. I spent most of the night in the orgy tent.” Rhys falls silent. Probably thinking of the time before hand he spent babysitting Alex. Krissy just pats his back. “You know you throw a hell of a party we’re going to have to do that the next time Hel’s off on vacation on something and puts me in charge.”

                 “Maybe. Depends how badly Claire’s pissd me off.” She shrugs with a grin. “Is an orgy actually fun? I mean, I don’t know if I’d want to sleep with everybody there. I don’t know.”

                  “I wouldn’t start with an orgy. If you like I could take you to a few clubs, maybe try a threesome or voyuerism, take it slow.”

                   “I’m a hunter Rhys. I doubt I’d be welcome in your circles. Or you know, that it wouldn’t just be a terrible horrible bad idea.”

                   “We can keep it human.” He reassures her. “And relax, I’ll take care of you, I promise.”

                   “I dunno, let me think about it. Aw, she’s sleeping.” Krissy shines the torch on the slumbering Cerberus. “Berry! Who’s my good boy!” She holds out her arms as a pair of eyes pops open. Cerberus is instantly up torn between slobbering hello to Krissy or Rhys.

                    “Hey cutie.” Rhys scratches behind one of the sets of ears.

                    “Krissy.” Thanatos walks slowly up. “W-what brings you here?”

                    “I, um,...” She starts but her words diw in her throat. “I… I’m missing some memories. I was hoping I could talk to Mnemosyne.” Thanatos doesn’t say anything. They just stand awkwardly in front of each other in strained silence.

                    “She’ll need to go through your brother’s cave.” Rhys helps. Thanatos just gives him a dark look. “You left her, remember?” Rhys returns it.

                   “Rhys.” Krissy smacks his arm.

                   “No, he left you, Krissy. You broke under the strain of your loss and he just… abandoned you. Yeah he hurt, too, but you don’t fucking do that! So you don’t get to be all pissy because she’s playing with someone else now.”

                   “Rhys.” Krissy deeps her voice, “Why don’t you play with Berry here. She looks lonely.”

                   “Call if you need me.” Rhys looks at Thanatos. Krissy just rolls her eyes and follows Thanatos down the cavern.

                   “You look well.” Thanatos says after a moment.

                   “Thanks, the perks of having an angel looking out for me.” She shrugs. “You look okay. How are you doing?”

                   “As well as can be expected. You’re in love with the wolf now?” He tries to ask casually and fails utterly.

                   “No, we’re just screwing around. Letting off steam. Hunting’s not the best way to meet people. Besides you know I’m not the type to settle down anyways. If I’m not traveling I get antsy.”

                   “I know.”

                   “I did get Claire to trade in the wagon for an RV though so we have a kitchen. We share the bed at least until we can upgrade it. Though it’ll take longer this time. I could only afford this one because every time we had to buy things for the wagon, I put the same amount in a savings account and never touched it.”

                    “I see.”

                    It strikes Krissy as odd that a trip to a pagan underworld should be so… casual, with such ordinary discomfort and awkwardness. She remembers the first time she came down after Claire, it seemed so dark and foreboding. And it is. She can’t remember how it happened, not completely. She was wearing a pastel sundress with an angle length skirt for some reason and totally impractical shoes. Though thinking about it, it sounds like something Hara would want to wear. Was Hara with her even then? How did she ever convince Harahel to invade Hades? To leave the library to be her angel. And when did Hara use Saul? Did she use him first and then Krissy? Or was he an emergency vessel from later that Hara was too nice to just leave drifting in the world when she had no more use for him. Krissy honestly doesn’t know which to hope for.

                   “Hello Nat, Nat’s lover.” One of the twins smiles,or both, Krissy’s not sure.

                   “Our relationship has ended. “Thanatos reminds him.

                   “Oh, that’s too bad. What brings you here?” They turn back to the table between them and roll some dice. Are they playing Yatzee? It looks to Krissy like they’re playing Yatzee.

                   “Krissy needs to recover her memories involving the angel Harahel.” Thanatos takes a seat with them and hands them a wine skin and bag of fruit from his bag.

                  “How did she lose them?” The one Krissy thinks might be Mnemosyne asks. Of course it could be Lethe.

                  “Half to the lethe waters and half from a global enchantment.” Krissy just lets thanatos keep talking. She forgot a gift. Because of course she did.

                  “She’s drunk too much lethe to restore only part of the memories taken that way. Remind her of why she chose not to do so the first time.” They instruct Thanatos, who nods as Krissy searches her pockets for something that’s not insulting to give to the gods. She swears she had… oh, there it is. A pack of cards she stole from a casino hotel room last splurge. She keeps it in the inner jacket pocket in case she’s trapped somewhere and wearing her jacket. Of course she’s never trapped anywhere with her jacket around.

                 “So, um, do you two know how to play cards?” She puts it on the table before realizing they’re novelty cards for the all male review the casino had called ‘Rescue Rangers’. “Oh shit.” She blushes. The identical twins pick it up and split it  between them to look. Thanatos just gives her an incredulous look. ‘I remembered the cards and forgot the art on the back.”

                 “That’s not art! That’s just a lot of nude or nearly nude men.”

                 “Oh come on, Nat. You’re greek. Is that really what you’re going with?| she crosses her arms. The sisters laugh at this.

                 “Come here.” Thy usher her over to one of them who puts a hand on the sides of her head, examining her closely.

                 “Can you help me?” Krissy asks.

                 “I could. The web locking half the memories of the angel away is easily breakable for me, but to break one would break all. This is a vast, vast spell. whatever reason it was cast, you should be sure it’s removal is for the best.” The goddess lets go and looks back at the cards.

                 “I see.” Krissy sighs and looks down at her hands. The spell was cast for Hara’s safety. Undoing it would put her back in danger. A few memories aren’t worth that. ‘Thank you for telling me.”

                  “You’re very welcome.” They nod. “Should you have any more questions we could use another deck of these.” One waves a card as the other laughs. She’ll think of something else. Eventually.

 

                  Shelly is delighted with her bracelets and shakes them laughing happily at the sound of the bells. Sam smiles at her for a moment before looking to her wife. 

                  “Is there a way to turn those off?” He asks. Raphael just hands him a pair of bell-less bracelets. “Thank you.”

                   “We’re going after them.” Raphael says. “Soon.” Gabriel punches him in the arm as hard as she can. “You said we were here to tell them.” He rubs his arm, frowning at her.

                  “I said I was going to tell them, you blabbermouth tattletale!” she glares at him.

                 “I know you’re going to.” Sam leans over to kiss her. “Michelle is the only reason I’m not going with you.”

                  “That and none of us will take you and risk her being an orphan.” She snorts at this.

                   “That’s what I mean. Well, I’m glad you waited this long. This kids had some interesting ideas how to break through into purgatory. One of them being ‘in a rocket ship’ and another being with decoys.” He holds up two pictures drawn in crayon.One of a rocket ship in stars and several brown and gold angels floating in the sky. Some look like puppets.

                  “That is adorably creepy.” Gabriel shows the dead eyed angels to Raphael who supresses a smile.

                  “You asked the kindergardeners.” Raphael raises an eyebrow at him.

                  “They wanted to help, too.” Sam grins, “Make sure to look them over before you leave, see if there’s anything you can use. Just so I can tell them you did.” 

                  “Of course.” Raphael takes the papers.

                  “Though I think the best one was the borate encrusted armor and the invasion pod, warded against nephilim and made of a borate shell. Like an escape pod.” Sam pulls out one on the bottom.”

                  “Actually that’s not a bad idea. Once we’re in there we’ll have all four of us to break us all out and we could probably do something similar on the way out.We could build a rocket or something.” Gabriel looks it over. Raphael just looks at her. “What? Tell me that wouldn’t be the coolest fucking thing ever.”

                  “Babe, language.” 

                  “I don’t have time to master rocket science Gabriel.” Raphael explains.

                  “We don’t have to. We’re not nearly as fragile as hums and it doesn’t have to last past the barrier. Hell, we could even just build a giant cannon and shoot ourselves through the veil in giant borax cannonballs.” She holds up a picture of an angel in an striped red and white jumpsuit complete with helmet. “Both ways.”

                   “What is wrong with you?!”

                   “My brother doesn’t know how to have any fun, that’s what’s wrong with me” She puts her hands on her hips.

                   “Gabriel.” Raphael says slowly. “Even if we could survive such a thing, our brother is a teenage human girl.”

                    “And?”

                    “And we cannot shoot Lucifer out of purgatory with a giant cannon! Why do I even have to say this?” Raphael throws his hands in the air. Sam just cracks up at this, trying so hard not to laugh that he crumples up, sliding off the chair. “There, see what you’ve done? You’ve killed your husband.” He points to his shaking brother in law. “This is why I don’t like doing things with you.”

                    “You okay there, Samcake?” Gabriel pats her husband’s back as Shelly just keeps jangling her bracelets. “You can laugh, honey. It’s okay.” She reassures him. Sam just shakes his head as she’s fairly sure letting go at this point will actually kill him. “Breathe, honey.”


	41. Family Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The archangels together again.

            Luci watches as Michael surrounds the castle with large stone blocks. He sends her for allies and she comes back with rocks. Well, at least his best warrior has returned.

            “Hey, Luci, there are nephilim here to see you.” Ruihi calls.

            “Alright. Bring them over.” He leans on the wall, not bothering to move.

            “They want you to come down from the ramparts.” 

            “Then they can wait until I’m good and ready too.” Luci doesn’t even turn back. He misses his wings. He really does. Maybe he could ask Mitcha to take him up for a flight like when they were little. Of course as it’s the angelic equivalent of a horsey ride, that’d just be embarrassing for all involved, so probably not. Besides you can’t feel your wings resonate with the vibrations of existence if you don’t have wings.

            “They also wish to speak with you now.” Ruihi adds with a sigh.

            “Then they’re just shit out of luck, now aren‘t they?” Luci smiles as Michael flies over to him, landing beside him. “So, how’d it go?”

            “I’m not a diplomat.” Is the reply.

            “It’s okay.” Luci give him a kiss. “We’ll be fine. I have a list of assets and such set up and a record of improvements we’ve made while you were gone. If you would go look them over and formulate some thoughts on or options while I talk to our nieces and nephews, feel free.”

             “I think I will. I need to decide on the best use and placement for the borate. Besides I’d be even less helpful in your negotiation with the nephilim.” Michael adjusts the bag fastened around his shoulder. I’m going to go put this on. Maybe practice some more. Come spar with me when you get a chance. I need to get used to using my new prosthetic,”

             “Alright,” Luci looks at the bag curiously. “As soon as I’m done with the nephilim, I’ll be right there.” He walks down to the courtyard where a small regimine of nephilim are waiting. “You wanted to see me?”

            “Yes, we have decided to ally with you against the leviathan and Eve’s loyalists. However we do have some conditions.” The tall Sumerian crosses his arms.

            “Of course you do.” Luci motions him to continue with a wave of his hand.

            “We want a safe haven in Eve’s fortress. Built with no doors, only walls and high windows so only those who fly can enter.”

            “Alright.” Luci shrugs. Easy enough. “Anything else?”

            “We have free reign of the fortress until all our children are recovered. When not fighting we will search the grounds for them.”

            “Not a problem. Anything else?”

            “We follow no angel, monster or Levi and will accept no orders from any non nephilim.” Now comes the points for negotiations.

             “How exactly do you plan on fighting alongside us then? Will the nephilim that you will answer to coordinate with us or do we just not include you in our plans and hope you don’t fuck everything up?”

              “We, uh, our generals will coordinate.” The nephilim nods.

              “And if in the heat of battle I or one of my people should shout a warning or tactical advice and not word it as a polite suggestion, will you and yours simply shout ‘you’re not the boss of me’ and die? Because if so let me know so we can factor that into our plans.” Luci puts his hands on his hips, looking out of them as a few give slight smirks and other’s like the Sumerian look annoyed.

              “We’re here to help you.” The man starts not a little condescendingly.

              “No, you’re here to help yourselves. Michael and I have been fighting wars since before you existed. We know what we’re doing and if we tell you to do something there is going to be a damn good reason for it, probably altering the course of a battle entirely. So you can either decided to listen in training and the battlefield or stay out of our way.” Luci has to pause and brush his hair back from his eyes, it just keeps getting longer and never stays put. He’ll have to start wearing it up soon.

              “We have one final demand.” The sumerian doesn’t outright refuse which is as good as a yes. “The Butcher must go.”

              “What, Michael?” Luci can’t help but laugh at the suggestion. “You want me to trade Michael for you lot? For a purely pragmatic stance alone that’s a stupid idea. He’s worth each and ever one of you a hundred times over in a fight. No, that’s not gonna happen.”He shakes his head, while the sumerian gets not a little bristled at the dismissal.

             “Perhaps you don’t understand, there are a hundred of thousands of us.” 

             “I know how many of you there are. Trust me.” Luci sits down on the nearest section of fence, leaning back against a pillar behind him. “My statement stands. Mitcha’s not going any where”

             “You can’t expect us to fight along side the angel who slaughtered us and our families and children!” He rages, clearing just wanting to vent, make a big noise, a big show. He might be serious, but if so he’s an idiot.

            “What, you mean he personally killed every single one of you? Never mind, he probably did.” Luci chuckles, “Well, like I said, not happening, so, good bye.”

            “Goodbye?”

            “Yes. Good bye. I refuse your condition. I refuse you. Now get out. We’ll call you to come and get your rugrats when we’re done and can find them ourselves.” He gives them a little wave. “I can’t believe you thought I’d agree to that.” 

            “He’s your enemy! You waged war for millennia!” Poor guy looks confused.

            “Michael is also my sibling. Let’s just saw we have a complicated relationship. Look,  you clearly want to stay and get to the kids as soon as you can. So just suck it up and accept that I’m not kicking out the only person here who means anything to me at all, especially not for you.” Luci rolls his eyes and stretches out his arms. “Any who, if you want the both us gone and to have Eve’s kingdom then helping us gets that done quicker.”

            “Have Eve’s kingdom?” The Sumerian seems a bit surprised.

            “Yeah, Michael wants you to have a better after life, so…” he shakes his head.

            “Guilt.” The nephilim snort, dismissing the gesture.

            “Of course guilt. Though lets me honest, most of you deserved this or worse. No? Remember Baal? I notice he’s not here with you. The titans?” Several nephilim look slightly uncomfortable. “Goliath? Maybe, just maybe if less of you set yourself up as gods and destroyers of humanity, then it wouldn’t have had to come to this. Did you ever consider that?”

            “And what, pray tell did our children do?”That is the trump card, of course. It would have shut Mitcha up, perhaps but Luci’s not blinded by guilt and sentimentality.

            “Nothing, but you can’t blame Michael for that. He was following orders. And orders made necessary because of me. If you really think that Raphael wouldn’t have been able to plead for your children if they weren’t fighting a seemingly endless war with me for all of heaven and earth, then you don’t know either of them. 

             “Honestly, when you get right down to it, I’m the one to blame. I started that war, I corrupted humanity, and I did nothing at all to help you. If you think that if I’d won you and your family and loved ones human or not would have fared any better then you are kidding yourselves. I would have destroyed and tormented you like the miscreated abominations I viewed you as at the time. Even I had reached out to and used any of you, at best you’d have ended up in hell, where I would have had you drained, used and tormented in ways you can’t even begin to imagine.” Luci smiles at the thought, though it no longer actually gives him much pleasure to think of it. He is the devil, so he at least has to play his part a little.

            It’s almost funny how frightened they are now, looking at him with their eyes all big and glancing to the Sumerian for guidance.

           “That’s supposed to get us to trust the both of you?”

           “I don’t think you’re understanding how much I don’t care.  Not even a little bit, about any of you or your trust or opinions or feelings beyond practical matters. I’m trying to be nice and having you would be convenient, but I don’t actually need you. I’m just offering to make it easier on all of us and get us the hell out of here sooner rather than later, something we call all agree on wanting.”

            “And that’s it? If you don’t care at all why are you even bothering to promise to find and return our children after you win whether or not we join you.” The sumerian challenges.

             “Because I’m trying to be a better fucking person that’s why! Now you know where I stand, now make your decision before I have to have  Michael kick you out before the next battle.  Now, I’m willing to do this with or without you, but I’m not willing to spend an eternity sitting and waiting for you to make up your minds. You know what we want and what we’re offering, so leave and decide and don’t come back unless you’re here either to help us or fight us and I think you’ve had enough experience with Michael to know that you don’t want to fight us.” There’s only silence to this statement for a few good seconds.

            “ Very well.” The sumerian responds cooly. “I’ll return and put this before the others.”

           “You do that.”

           “Will you only accept us as a while, or can individuals join your efforts freely?” A voice pipes up from in the back of the crowd.

           “Individuals will always be welcome, of course. I am all about free will, after all.” Luci smiles, looking to the Sumerian. “Those who wish to stay and help go report to Ruihi. Just remember to be polite to Michael. Not because she can easily kick all of your asses, because she won’t, but because if I hear about it, I will take exception, and I’m still not a very good person yet. And rest assured I will hear about it. Now if you need to think, go back to your perch on the mountain tops and think. If not, then you’re welcome. If you’ll excuse me I have a leviathan proofing to organize.” Luci gets up off the fence and walks away to go find Michael. The angel in question, of course, is waiting a short distance away, giving him that smile again. “Shut up, Mitcha.” He can feel himself blush and looks to the prosthetic arm strapped into place with a hand clearly fitted to hold a sheild. “They made it out of wood? Did you tell them you’re a being of living holy flame?”

          “I didn’t want to insult them. I’ll manage. If it reaches that point in a fight, the prosthetic is the least of my worries.” Michael looks down at it. “Besides, there isn’t anything that wouldn’t melt or break.”

           “True, but still.” Luci sighs and touches the wood. Smooth, lovely. “It’s very nicely crafted.”

          “Thank you for taking up for me. I appreciate it.” Michael touches his face and gives him a kiss.

          “Any time.”

          “MIQA!” A small golden whirlwind of chaos actually barrels into the surprised archangel, knocking him over. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you scare us like that? You reckless… good greif, I sound like you.” Gabriel hugs her big sister, not even noticing that she knocked the false arm off completely.

           “What about Shelly? Tell me you didn’t just abandon her. We do not need another motherless Winchester in the world.” Luci cuffs his little sister’s head as Michael returns her hug as best he can. “Where did you even some from?”

            “I am the product of a vast and strange mind.” Gabriel gives her brother her best wide eyed psychotic smile. “Are you alright?”

          “ I mean what are you doing here? Please tell me Raphael didn’t let you come alone.”

         “As if he could stop me.” Gabriel snorts. 

         “I absolutely could have  and of course I didn’t let her come alone.” Raphael lights down beside them with a sigh, brushing dust off his jacket, but freezes as he notices the lack of arm on Michael’s body.

          “I’m sorry, they didn’t… “ One of the rebels from the gate runs over with several others, armed to the teeth. “Oh, you, Alex’s angel, right?” he stops and looks at Raphael.

           “They’re my siblings, they’re fine.” Luci waves them away. Raphael ignores him staring at Michael amputated arm, lifting beseeching brown puppy eyes to his elder sibling, but not saying a word. 

            “I had to remove it. It was too corrupted during entry. I can’t afford the energy to replace it.” Michael explains looking down at it as Gabriel goes to fetch the wooden arm. “I even got a shield to fit the prosthetic.”

             “Oh, I have to see that.” Gabriel enthusiasm irritates Raphael to no degree, but he just continues giving his big sister a pleading look.

             “Yes, Raphael?” Michael grins at him. “Do you have something you want to say?”

             “I can fix it fairly easily.” He starts to look incredibly distressed.

             “That’s good to know.”

             “You’re not going to… you’ll let me fix it won’t you?”

             “Yes, of course, I will. I’m not Gabriel.” Michael finally stops teasing him.

             “Not yet, though.” Gabriel steps in front of him before Raphael can do it. “I want to see it with the shield and everything.”

             “What the false arm?”Michael looks down at her.

             “And I want pictures.”

             “You…. are you insane? Why would you…” Raphael exclaims.

             “Alright, give us a minute.” Michael shakes his head and escorts Gabriel to the back room. Raphael just covers his face and heaves a sigh.

             “How did you two get through?” Luci asks Raphael’s shoulders tense.

             “I don’t want to talk about it.” He almost sounds embarrassed. “I’m glad to see you’re alright.”

             “Likewise.”

             “We found and handed out your christmas presents, if that’s alright.”

             “No, that’s fine. I wish I could have seen them get it, but… well.” Luci shrugs.

             “I took pictures. Don’t worry.” Raphael reassures him.

             “How’s Alex?” Luci asks, mostly for something to say. 

             “She’s well. Dad resurrected Courage. Mostly because Shelly was crying at no dog and no Helel.” Raphael looks around the fortress.  

             “Yeah, Michael told me.” Luci nods. Raphael’s talking to him, so that’s a good thing.

             “Right. How… how are things here?”

             “Well, our nieces and nephews are kind of holding a grudge in regards to being slaughtered by Michael. And the rebels aren’t exactly eager to leave their safe haven and engage in a war. Michael is not a diplomat and most disturbingly of all I almost miss being a fully functioning human being. Oh, yes, and the monster and nephilim children are dad only knows where, many of them buried in underground vaults to await eve nibbling on them. We’ve only found one and haven’t found the ones that didn’t piss her off enough to bury either. Of course we don’t exactly have the time to look.”

              “I’ll see what I can do.”

              “There’s no hurry, they provide great motivation for the others to join us.” Luci waves it away. Raphael just narrows his eyes at him. “What? They won’t starve or get hurt or anything. If anything they’re safer there until we win.”

               “No, Helel, we are not leaving them there indefinitely! I will restore Michael’s arm and then we will find and retrieve the children. Everything else is secondary.”

               “As you like.” Luci shrugs, unable to keep the smile of his face. Raphael called him Helel.

               “Alright, let’s go get this over with.” Raphael heads off after their sisters. 

 

               “This… this is a lot of children.” Luci looks out over the courtyard. The young monster and nephilim are all huddled together. Most of them don’t want to leave each other and of course Gabriel won’t let them be separated if they don’t want to be.

               “Purgatory is bigger than you seem to think it is.” Michael says quietly, hidden behind the wall so the children don’t see him.

               “This is going to take a while isn’t it?” 

               “Maybe.”

               “We have to get the children back to their loved ones. But I want to secure this place for Shelly.” He rests his arms on the ledge.  “What were they thinking?”

               “That they love us and want to be there for us.”

               “Well, yes, but still. How’s your arm? Good as new?” Luci reaches over and strokes Michael’s new limb.

               “Yes. I don’t think the leviathan are going to attack us. Not while the four of us are here together.”

              “Well, then we’ll have to make them think we’re not where we are, won’t we? Gabriel! C’mere!” He waves to her. She stops, giving treats and dolls to the children and flies up. “We need some of your trickster god skills.” Luci tweaks her nose.

             “Why?”

             “Because we’re leaving that’s why and we need to make the Leviathan think we aren’t.”

             “Huh, that’ll be tricky getting an illusion to maintain itself without us here. Let me think about it a minute.” She sits on the edge of the wall.

             “I can hook a spell up to the souls here if that helps.” Luci offers.

             “A little, yeah.  Are there a lot of people you can trust? Not with our lives neccesarily, but to tell the levi to go fuck themselves?”

             “Ruihi would know. I’ll have him come meet us when Raphael’s done with his little scavenger hunt.” Luci pats his little sister’s back, and turns to Michael. “How’s training coming along?”

             “They’re all fairly terrible fighters. But they have strength in numbers and enough decent instructors to teach the others in my absence.” Michael sighs, shaking his head.  “I don’t know if I like leaving before everything is set.”

             “Mitcha, just trust me. Please. For Shelly’s sake.”

             “Very well.” Michael nods. He’ll have to trust his brother some time, truly trust him.  Now’s as good a time as any.        


	42. Resignation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luci's plan and it's fallout

     “Are you sure about this?” Raphael asks once again as they slowly make their way out to a secluded area far from the levi’s remaining territory.

    “Are you?” Luci looks over to his little brother, who tightens his lips at the question. “C’mon, Raphael, don’t you want to get back to your sweetheart?”

    “Yes, but I’m not sure… I think you’ve misjudged them.” Raphael glances back towards the fortress sparing a glance at the nephilim going with them. 

    “I don’t. I’m pretty sure I’ve got their number. I am usually right about these things.”

    “That is true.” Raphael sighs. Michael and Gabriel keep their peace hoping the civil conversation between the brothers lasts. Or they were. 

     “I still think we should use the ca..” Gabriel starts

     “No!” Raphael interrupts his little sister. “No.”

     “But…” Gabriel starts to protest.

     “No.”

     “Gabriel, no.” Michael firmly adds his ‘no’ to Raphael’s.

     “You don’t even know what I’m suggesting.” The indignant younger angel puts her hands on her hips.

     “Do I have to?” Michael challenges, flicking her nose.

     “Probably not.” Gabriel sighs. “Alright, so we just wait for the all clear and book it?”

     “That’s the plan.” Michael puts his hand on his sword, ignoring that most of the plan relies on all but a select few impersonating the archangels until they’re a little more organized in the military sense. “When we get back, we can start planning our wedding.” He scoops Luci up in his arms, putting his misgivings aside. If things don’t work as supposed to, he wants his brother as close as possible. Though Luci looks vaguely annoyed at the princess carry.

       “Is everyone okay with that?” Luci hedges.

       “Everyone who matters.” Michael gives him a kiss.

       “Do you have the blessing of your best man is what I’m asking.” he clarifies. Michael looks over to Raphael. Luci’s not sure if Raphael doesn’t realize he’s being referred to or has just decided to make Michael ask him outright.

       “What? You mean me?” Raphael looks surprised. “You want me to be your best man?”

       “No, Raphael, we’re referring to that lovely tree behind you.” Luci teases, earning himself a dark look.

       “Of course, you’re my best man. How can you even ask?” Michael looks a little hurt.

       “I… want you to be happy and pursue that happiness as you see fit. I will stand by you no matter what you do.” Is Raphael’s non answer. “And do whatever you need of me.” So clearly he’s not especially fond of the idea.

       “It’s okay. Gabriel’s not overly thrilled with this either.”  Luci pats Michael’s disappointed face, and shakes his head at his little sister.

        “Don’t give me that look.” She protests indignantly. “You guys are still a little squicked out about my marrying my brother’s vessel. And you really have to question that I feel a bit weird about my siblings marrying each other? Talk about hypocrisy.”

        “The fact that he’s your brother’s vessel is the least of my objections.” Michael responds cooly.

        “Mitcha? Think you could put me down?” Luci tries to get out of his lover’s grip.

        “Why? I think that’s the…” Michael looks up at the sky to see dozens of black streaks flying through the air. “I see we’ve been betrayed.” He wishes he was more surprised but this is purgatory.

        “See, told you.” Luci winks to Raphael as Michael puts him down.

        “Yes, you did.” He sighs as the air grows positively black with levi. Though he no longer hates his elder brother, he does wish that he was wrong just a little more often than he is.

         “Well, Fuck.” Gabriel draws her sword.

         “Hey! Dickie boy!” Luci calls up to the swarm. “Your mommy has a message for you. Of course I don’t know what it is because I cut off her head before she could give it to me.” Michael gives him an annoyed look. “Oh, shit.”  Luci smacks his forehead. “That’s right. I stuck her head in the freezer. Did you guys find it?”

          “Yes. We made her into a goldfish statue.” Michael informs him.

          “You what?” The sound roars from the thick black wall around them. 

          “Cut her head off, dissolved her in borax and made a cement goldfish statue out of the remains.  Ready Raph?”  Luci grins.

           “Of course.” And Raphael slams his staff deep into the ground at his feet, letting a pressurized spray of borate infused water erupt, drenching everyone and everything around them. They forgot who they were dealing with.

          “Oh, don’t give me that look, Mitcha.” Luci pouts at Michael as Raphael finishes setting the giant statue and encasing it in both glass and a sort of rubber/ amber substance from one of the trees.  It’s the severed heads and melted remains of probably about half the levi in purgatory including their king.  “You can’t act. I had to keep you in the dark.”

          “You lied to me.”

          “I lied to everyone but Raphael.”

          “I trusted you.”

          “Ow! Hey! Was that neccesary.” Gabriel exclaims as Raphael grabs her and fixes her shoulder.

          “Was going right into the middle of the swarm necessary you reckless brat?” He scolds her.

          “We were all in the middle of the storm, Raph. Besides they got Michael’s sword. I had to. Hey! Don’t you dare fix that leg!”

          “I didn’t betray you or turn on you, I just set up a little trap with my baby brother.” Luci sits on Michael’s lap. “Trust isn’t just about complete and utter honesty. I’m trying to be honest . In general now, but tactically… do you really think we could have gotten all these levi out here if they didn’t think they were going to take us by surprise?” He smooths Michael’s hair back.

          “You could have told me.” Michael protests. “You should have told me.”

          “Mitcha…” Michael just pushes Luci aside and storms off back to the fortress.

          “I’ll go talk to her.” Gabriel flies off after him.

          “Are you really surprised she’s angry?” Raphael asks quietly.

          “Yes, I thought she said she was going to trust me.”

          “She did, but he’s mad because we didn’t trust her.” Raphael tears open the ground, burying the statue in a pit of borate before filling it in again.

           “She can’t act, Raph. She’s not good at deceit. It was tactical, not a character assessment.”

            “I know. Just let her calm down a bit.” Raphael sits down beside him. “It was a good plan.”

            “Of course it was.” Luci scowls then looks down at the ground. “I won’t marry her until you’re okay with it, Raphael.”

            “Are you really going to try and get my blessing through emotional blackmail?” He scowls at his older brother.

            “No. This isn’t emotional blackmail. It was a condition I made when she proposed, if anything she was adorably trying to be all twisty by bringing it up now. She’s so bad at it; it’s kind of cute. I just don’t want to hurt your relationship with Michael, that’s all. You’re very important to each other. I’m trying to do the right thing but every right thing can so easily appear manipulative or be manipulative. I know you can see that.”

             “Yes, I can.”

             “I’m not trying to manipulate her or anyone important to you.  But I can’t… I can’t just stop being who I am. I’m deceitful and a liar, but I’m her deceitful liar and if she can’t handle that, then she doesn’t want to marry me. She just wants to marry some illusion of me.” Luci gets up “You know what. Tell Michael I’m staying. At least here I can use my strengths and be appreciated for them.” Luci storms off to the main hall. Raphael just sighs and shakes his head. In listing his personal traits, he forgot  ‘drama queen’. They both just need to cool off. So he should probably go get Gabriel before she makes things worse. 

             “You’re a really bad actor, Michael. Besides, they didn’t tell me either. It was probably as much about getting in some brotherly bonding time as anything else, and don’t we want that? Isn’t it good that they’re doing things together?” Gabriel explains to the still furious Michael.

               “Gabriel.” Raphael walks over, picks her up and walks off with her. Michael does not object, though Gabriel does.

               “Hey!” 

               “They just need a moment. Give them a moment.”

               “Fine. I can’t believe you two were working together on that. This was… that was fantastic. I thought it was weird he wanted to cut and run before it was more securely… secured for Shelly and stuff.”

               “Your eloquence astounds me.” He sets her down on the outer wall. “It’s as secure as it’s going to get unfortunately.”

               “So have the two of you finally made up?” Gabriel gently kicks his leg with her remaining foot.

               “He’s earned my conditional tolerance.” Raphael doesn’t exactly feel like forgiving him so completely quite so easily, now that he knows his brother is fine. “He’s having a little bitch fit right now, so we might be here a little while.”

               “Oh, great.” Gabriel crosses her arms. “And how long will this take? Ah, never mind. I’m going to go introduce myself to some of the demigods. Let them know exactly who’s daughter we are preparing Eve’s kingdom for. “ She cracks her knuckles. “Want to come? It’ll be entertaining.”

                “How so?”

                “Most of them know me. Well, they know Loki and I was the original Dagan. Finding out that I’m actually even more powerful… I mean, yeah Luci’s scary, but he’s way underpowered right now so they’re not nearly as terrified of him as they should be.”

               “Alright. They both need a moment. Michael’s probably not feeling too happy about my part in this either.” Raphael looks back to where they went. But that’s something to deal with later on.

                “Your daughter.” A tall cold looking Nephilim blanches as Gabriel snaps back to her current form. “Yours.”

                “Yup. My daughter.”

                “Are you certain she’s…” He stops as her smile gets a rather dangerous glint to it at the reminder of her other children.

                “I gave birth to her, so yes, fairly sure.” Gabriel pats her stomach.

                “Does this really matter?” some young south asian woman scowls at them. The cold one gives her an incredulous look.

                “Does it matter that one of those vying for our control of eve’s portion of the realm is Loki Liesmith? And that it’s his daughter, a nephilim like us, except of an archangel, who’s welfare he wishes to secure it for? You’re asking this?” Another replies with a tone that clearly implies he thinks she’s an idiot. “Would you ask the same question if it was anansi? Or Hanuman?”

                “As far as I’m concerned this angel is an angel like any other.” This statement gets a laugh from Raphael, though the thought of Gabriel being an example of the typical angel is more terrifying than funny.

                “Okay, I’m going to leave it to you to explain to her how dear I hold my children. And remember, I don’t have to hold back anymore.” This terrifies half the people there as Gabriel winks and vanishes.

                  “I apologize for whatever my sister had put you through, regardless of whether it was deserved or not.” Raphael nods to them. “But know that each and every one of us will do whatever it takes to keep Michelle safe in life and after. It would be better for you if you did not cross us on this.”

                  “And that’s the only interest the four of you have in purgatory?” The woman challenges. 

                  “The absolute only interest we have in this place is to make it safe and hospitable enough so that the child will neither suffer nor be harmed should she come here before we rectify the issue of nephilim being brought to purgatory. 

And as soon as we are assured of it, we will be leaving. In truth, it’s the only reason we’re still here at all.” Raphael replies and follows after his sister, leaving them to consider what he’s said.

                  “Well… Fine then!” He hears Michael’s frustrated exclamation as he nears the fortress.

                  “Damn straight it’s fine!”

                  “So, what are you going to do? Stay here? Rule purgatory?” 

                  “Why the hell not? At least here they appreciate me.”

                  “Luci, Miqa, now, you know you don’t…”

                  “STAY OUT OF THIS!” Michael and Luci shout at Gabriel at once.

                  “Bree, you know better." Raphael hauls her a good distance away again.

                  “But… they.. this is.. I don’t want to stay in purgatory because my older siblings are having relationship problems. My sweetheart is on earth as is yours. So they always have to be so damn selfish?” Gabriel breaks away.

                  “You know they do.” He sighs. “I’ll see what I can do. I think we’ve  fairly well cleared the border so we can go back and forth if we absolutely need to. Honestly I think we should just leave him here like he says he wants until he gets over himself.”

                  “Raph, we would never see him again.” 

                  “We’re going home.” Michael announces as he joins them at the wall.

                  “That was quick.” Gabriel looks at her big sister suspiciously. There is no possible way that either one of them saw sense this quickly. “You two are getting better at making up.”

                  “We are not making up. He wants to stay. Let him stay.”

                  “Michael, you’re angry.” Raphael states firmly. 

                  “No shit.” Gabriel mutters as Michael turns his glare to his little brother.           

                  “This is not the time to make decisions like this. You know you should wait until you’re not longer angry enough to think that will actually work.” Raphael knows damn well that  Michael really just expects Luci to cave at the last minute, like a parent pretending to leave a toddler behind, and that won’t work, that never worked with Luci and is especially not appropriate for the kind of relationship they have now.

                   “You’re free to stay with him, but I am going home. Gabriel? Your husband and child are waiting for you.” Michael turns away from Raphael. Apparently she’s still angry with Raphael for this as well.

                   “What? Yes, but… Are you…”

                   “Purgatory is as secure as we can feasibly make it without abandoning everything else. He’s shown he’s more than capable of taking care of himself and if he insists on staying then I’m not going to force him to leave.”

                   “I have to see to a few of the children first.” Raphael protests. “And at least tell him when we’re leaving.”

                    “I did. We’re leaving now. I’ll wait half an hour for you to do what you need to do but that’s it. If you’re coming, you’re coming, if not, that’s fine.” Michael walks off towards the woods. Gabriel sighs and covers her face.

                    “Go on. I’ll check on the kids and try to convince Helel to come back with us.” Raphael nudges his little sister towards Where Michael went.

                    “Yeah, good luck.”  She relents and goes to try and talk some sense into Michael. Not that she thinks either of them can, but she can at least drag the argument out to give Raph a little more time.

 

                     “Helel?” Raphael enters the main hall. His brother’s slouched in Eve’s throne, arms crossed around the staff with Eve’s head on it.

                     “I’m not apologizing and I’m not leaving with that angel.” He clenches his jaw.

                    “You’re both being ridiculous and overreacting and you should both apologize but I’m not going to ask either of you to. I am simply going to ask you to come home.”

                    “Why should I? Nothing’s ever good enough. No one actually wants me to come back. I’ll never be anything but the devil there. No. I’ll stay here and make sure everything’s okay for when, well, if Shelly gets sent here. And that’s that. I don’t need this shit.”

                    “You need therapy. Relationship counseling at the very least.” Raphael snaps. “This is just.. ridiculous. Shelly cried her eyes out when she heard you were gone and wouldn’t be there for christmas. How do you think she’ll react when she’s told you aren’t coming back at all?”

                     “She’s a baby, she’ll forget about me. It’s better she doesn’t grow up, associating with the devil.”

                     “I’m not joining your sulky little pity party, Helel. And I’m certainly not going to tell you how wonderful you are and how much everyone loves you, because you’re a spoiled selfish drama queen at the best of times. Besides you already damn well know what you mean to them. So if you won’t come home for them, then come home for me. Please.” Luci looks up at her brother slightly surprised. “Who else can I trust to take care of my human when I have to be away who wouldn’t be going with me? And our child.” 

                     “Alex is pregnant?”

                     “Not yet, but we’re discussing it once she finishes college and since it’ll be a human child, it’ll take you a little while to gain enough of Alex’s trust for her to be alright with you around our baby as much as Shelly.”

                     “Did you get married without me?” Of course Luci would assume that.

                     “She’s not ready for marriage yet.” Raphael shakes his head. “Please come back. You don’t have to make up with Michael or apologize, just come back home and live across the hall and assist Alex with the shelter, if only until you pay back all the money you embezzled for that stupid billboard.” Of course Luci would get a completely amused and unrepentant smile at this. 

                      “Have you forgiven me?”

                      “Not if that’s a condition of your returning.” Raphael crosses his arms. Luci smiles.

                      “Alright. For you. Just remember, I’m giving up a throne for you.” He points to his little brother who just rolls his eyes. “So, how are we going? Are you going to carry me?” Luci teases. “I’m not letting Michael do it that’s for damn sure. And I’m sure Gabriel would want to do something absurd. So, piggyback, princess carry, over the shoulder?”

                       “Actually, I was thinking of using the cannon after all.” Is Raphael’s testy reply. Luci laughs, though he’s not entirely sure his brother’s joking. 


	43. Home sweet home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family tries to discuss michael and luci's relationship. Raphael and Luci discuss family matters

  
             “Alright.” Gabriel sits down, at the dining room table with her siblings. “I put everything in the computer and here are the results. I don’t think it’s anything remotely like any of us expected. But I promise, I just did it straight out. it was too incredible not to present as is."

             “What is she talking about?” Michael asks Raphael, still ignoring Luci who’s pretending not to care.

             “I have no idea.”

             “Diagnostic personality tests. To help us understand and get along with each other better. There are unfortunately a million of them so I just used the most populart.” She hands out a bunch of papers to each of them.

             “Pottermore?” Luci raises an eyebrow.

             “I think you gave me our brother’s.” Raphael hands his back.

             “Nope. That one’s yours.”

             “How the hell am I in slytherin?” Their elder siblings have no idea what they’re talking about and just ignore their papers.

             “Seriously? Mr. Jumpstart the apocalypse?” Gabriel crosses her arms and gives him a challenging look.

             “How am I ambitious?!”

             “You know, you really need to be a bit more self aware, Raph. Just because your ambitions are the mundane and boring sort, doesn’t mean you aren’t consumed by them and go to ridiculously insane lengths to acheive them.”

             “Ravenclaw?” Luci raises an eyebrow. “I think I had a bit more ambition than Raphael.”

             “No, you were just throwing a extended tantrum. Trying to destroy humanity for the purpose of pissing off Dad and trying to get his attention is a psycological complex, not a life goal, I don’t care how you put it.” Raphael comments.

             “That was actually a bit of a surprise.”Gabriel admits. “I guess you value knowledge more than you value power.”

             “Nobody loves power that much.” Raphael retorts.

             “Knowledge is power, pasehs.” Luci corrects them both.

             “What about you? Is there a house for reckless irresponsible assholes?” Raphael turns to her. 

             “Surprisingly, yes. Griffendor!” Gabriel grins holding up her paper. “I was half expecting slytherin with Luci, But you know, it fits, it really does.” 

              “I am NOT in slytherin.” Raphael snaps and heads over to use Alex’s laptop.

              “What’s a Hufflepuff?” Michael frowns. Luci starts laughing. 

              “Your house apparently.” He grabs Michael’s paper’s and starts reading. “This is so you. I can’t believe this.” 

              “That was quick. What were your results?” Gabriel asks as Raphael comes back over.

              “What is the point of this nonsense anyways?” he grouches sitting back down.

              “I dunno, I was looking up relationship counseling stuff for the love birds and I got bored.”

              “Gabriel....”Raphael sighs. “What… Okay, listen Alex is going to be home shortly. Is there anything even remotely rational and sensible you wanted to us to talk about?”  

              “Yes, actually. You two.” Gabriel stands up and points to Michael and Luci who look at her with mildly irritated tolerance. “Shape the fuck up. Alex has been running herself ragged trying to get heaven reconciled to your relationship and quite frankly I’m sick of this. You two need to do something about this. Whatever issues you’re having right now, i don’t care what, okay... correction, I do care what you do about it but c’mon. You know this isn’t good for either of you and you both need to get your heads out of your asses and confront and resolve these problems you’re having before they spiral out of control. Again. Seriously. Raph, back me up here.” She looks to her big brother almost pleadingly.

                “Helel is not entirely responsible for every issue between the two of you.” Raphael sighs, expecting the offended and betrayed look Michael’s giving him now. “Michael, I love you, but you’re not perfect. And… romantic is nice but it’s not always realistic or healthy viewing your loved ones through rose colored glasses. Especially not that loved one.”

                “Excuse me?” Michael straightens up as Luci just flips Raphael off. 

                “Sometimes.. I think you tend to see this more in terms of what they should be or could be instead of how they are.  Kind of… optimistic, I guess, but you tend to have such high expectations.”

                “I don’t expect anything of anyone they are not capable of doing, or even usually have done most of the time.” Michael protests.

                “We can’t all be at our best all the damn time, Michael.” Gabriel retorts. “Especially not Luci.”

                 “C’mon, now.” Luci protests, though he can’t honestly be too offended at that remark. 

                 “He’s barely making it back in the direction of his best.” Gabriel barrels on, “ And neither pretending he’s there and expecting him to be is even remotely good or reasonable in a healthy relationship. Feeling like a constant failure does not help make you into a better person.”

                 “I don’t…” Michael starts.

                 “You kind of do.” Luci says quietly, cutting him off. “You always have. I love you but I just don’t even feel you see me half the time, and not just some image of me you keep in your head that you’re waiting for me to become.”

                  “I see you. The problem is you don’t see yourself. I love you and I’m not going to let you shortchange yourself. I see who you were, who you are and have a fairly good idea of who you’re becoming. Don’t say I’m being unreasonable. When you simply don’t feel like measuring up. You can and you will and I won’t expect anything less than what I know you’re capable of. That is never going to change.” Michael standa up and bends over to give the scowling Luci a kiss on the cheek before blipping out of the apartment.

                  “Was she even listening to a thing we said?” Gabriel throws her hands up.

                  “I think she took it fairly well.” Raphael says loyally.

                  “You need to go talk to your woman and get her to talk to him because I can’t take this. I can’t.” Luci pushes his chair back and slams the door shut behind him when he leaves.

                   “Look at you, agreeing with Luci. Hell has officially frozen over.” Gabriel punches Raphael’s arm.

                   “He’s not always wrong.”Raphael admits. “Michael is demanding and doesn’t always understand the effect of that on people. I will absolutely not talk to Alex about this. I will suggest to Michael that he talk to Alex about this.”

                   “Good luck with that.” Gabriel snorts and vanishes.

                   “I am not in slytherin.” Raphael crumples up the paper and tosses it into the trash before heading to the fridge to make dinner.

 

                    “Hey, honey.” Alex greets him as she walks over and gives him a kiss. Neither of them feel inclined to end it but have to so he doesn’t burn the sausage.

                    “Is there a problem?” He asks as Krissy seems upset. 

                    “I can’t get my memories of Harahel back without undoing the spell keeping the thule from rememberingher and i just…” Krissy plops down on the sofa. “She’s suffered so much and I don’t even…. Do you know how many years of her I’ve lost? Do you? I may not even know her at all.”

                     “Kris, Hara’s Hara, why don’t you just go talk to her about this?”

                     “I can’t… she’ll feel bad and if he undid it, she’d feel bad and there’s just not a good option for her that won’t leave her feeling guilty when it’s not even her fault in the first place. At all.” Krissy slumps down. Claire is silent for once and just narrowly avoids being hit by the door as it bursts open.

                     “I need food.” Luci announces heading to the fridge. “Alex, this is pathetic, What have you been living off of? Take out?” He points to the empty fridge with a few moldy take out containers.

                     “No, I’ve been eating with Jody, too.”Alex protests. “And are you seriously raiding my fridge after the last time you got fed here?”

                     “Why? Have you made a yummy stew of your own flesh, because quite frankly you were delicious. “ Luci smacks her a kiss.

                     “Go buy something. We’re not your parents. We’re not obligated to feed you.” Raphael is not teasing his brother as lightheartedly as Alex is, or at all.

                      “I would but somebody stopped paying me.”

                      “You were in purgatory, not working, and you’re not going to get paid until you’ve worked off the cost of that damned billboard.” Raphael retorts. “So, not for a very long time.”

                      “What billboard?” Krissy asks. Claire hands her the phone. Krissy snorts and starts laughing. "This is why I’m glad I’m an only child.”

                       “It’s different when your big brother’s not hte devil, I’m sure.” Claire takes her phone back.

                        “You sent Claire a picture of that?” Raphael gives Alex an accusing look.

                        “I thought it was funny.” She gives him a sheepish grin. “Do you want to go get something? There’s this new granola place and a cafe opened up around the corner.”

                         “Don’t pamper him. He is perfectly capable of feeding himself.” her lover admonishes her.

                         “I was talking to you,sweetie, not Luci.” Alex gives him a peck.

                         “Oh,” Raphael looks over to his irritatingly amused brother. “No. I’m not human at the moment. Why don’t you go out with your sister and freinds while I go gather some fruits and vegetables and restock the pantry.”

                          “Are you sure?”

                          “I’m sure. We can take all the time we could want together later on.” Claire and Luci both roll their eyes at this.

                           “Good, c’mon girls.” Alex grabs her coat and walks out with Krissy and Claire.

                           “So are you going to feed me, or what?” Luci leans on the island. 

                           “What.”

                           “I SAID ARE YOU G-” Raphael quickly covers his brother’s mouth with his hand. 

                            “If you want to eat you can work or cook for youself.” Raphael confines his disgusted reaction to a wrinkled nose and scowl as Luci licks his hand, and just wipes his palm on his brother’s shoulder. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go foraging after I see what I can do to help out our librarian.”

                             “What’s wrong with her?”

                             “What do you care?”

                             “Well, I might be able to help. Of course I think better with a full stomach, or at least the promise of one.”

                             “Ask me again when you’ve eaten, then.” Raphael disappears. When he returns he regrets giving Luci implied permission to cook in his kitchen, no matter how vague it was. It’s especially annoying to see the mess as Luci is eating buttered toast, and nothing else. “Did you bake the loaf from scratch?” Raphael asksy dryly, looking at the flour all over the hand towels.

                              “Your baking soda is off.” Luci commetns. “And your nonstick cookware is no longer nonstick.”

                              “It was never nonstick. They’re cast iron, coppper or ceramic.”

                              “How was I supposed to know! I can’t see it’s molecular structure anymore. One of them is broken so is that one.” His brother sulkily informs him. Raphael looks at the pancakes shoved into the garbage disposal and picks me up. It’s immediately obvious that’s wrong. A table spoon of salt instead of ½ a teaspoon and a instead of ½ teaspoon of baking soda there’s two tablespoons and a small egg. If he had made the same mistake with the half cup of flour and half of water, he might believe that it was an honest mistake, but it clearly just…

                               “Don’t ever cook anything in my kitchen again.” He snaps and slaps Luci’s hand as he reaches for some passion fruit. 

                               “Okay, so I’ll just go back ot my apartment, broke and alone and make myself some steamed mold with a side of jack shit.”

                               “You can’t possibly render it any more inedible than you did these pancakes.” Raphael retorts, with no sympathy whatsoever.

                                “It was a bad recipe.”

                                 “You are a petulant brat and Io refuse to believe for a minute that you didn’t do this on purpose. You are a master of spells, chemistry, math, music. Don’t you dare try to tell me that you cannot read a damn recipe!”

                                 “I read the damn recipe! It’s not my fault it’s so ambiguous. A pinch, a dash, a cup, what kind of cup? Tea cup water cup? One or two tablespoons… if one of those options is going to ruin it, why give the two option? I wanted pancakes not to decode the rosetta stone.”Luci crosses his arms, taking a feirce bite of hte last slice.

                                “Tablespoons are abbreviated tbsp and teaspoons are tsp.” Raphael informs him, still not quite buying it but not knowing what else to say.

                                “ON. Tablespoons are uppercase t and teaspoons are lower case t and there was an uppercase T.”

                                “Before BSP, not before SP. And what part of the recife said to cover the entire kitchen in flower!”

                                “I forgot to add the liquid before using the hand mixer.” Luci looks away. For the love of all that is, he really is that terrible at cooking. Completely and utterly hopeless. But that’s not even close to the point.

                               “And you didn’t clean it up because…”

                               “I’m hungry! Are you really going to yell at me for this? After I got left in purgatory for you? After I gave up a throne for you?”

                               “Puratory has absolutely nothing to do with what did to my damned kitchen!”Raphael snaps. Luci’s response is halted by the fluttering of wings and the smell of pizza.

                               “Excuse me, but Michael ordered me to bring you this and tell you to leave Alex’s food alone.” Castiel puts the box down on the table.

                               “You brought me pizza? You are such a good son.” Luci stands up and pats Castiel on the head as he places the pizza on the counter. Raphael gives the angel a dark look, and if not for the fact Michael send it, he’d have snapped it into oblivion.

                                 “So you’re Michael’s errand boy now?” Raphael asks coldly.

                                 “I’m simply trying to keep the peace.” Castiel disappears.

                                 “Why would you object to that?” Luci opens the lid. There’s a heart made of pepperoni and tomato surrounded by onions, sausage, mushroom and mozzerella. With a note written on the cover. ‘If my standards are too high, explain why I love you.’ Probably not quite what he was trying to say. It’s not in his handwriting either so it’s probably an employee mistake, but it still make Raphael laugh anyways.

                                 “They probably didn’t hear him right. That or Gabriel was involved.” He reassures his brother kindly despite his humor, as Luci takeas a piece.

                                 “I did work that out for myself. But Gabriel is playing minor pranks on Michael again, isn’t she? Did you ever think that day would come?” Luci goes to take a bite but Raphael takes the slice from his hand. “Excuse me!”

                                 “You’re not eating until you clean up this mess.”

                                 “Who the fuck do you think you are talking to, baby wings? Just because I love you now doesn’t mean I’m not cataloguing each and every one of these little abuses of power to be reckoned with later.” 

                                  “ Well, when they equal being stabbed and left for dead in a freezing warehouse you then set on fire, let me know.” Raphael snaps the pizza somewhere safe. 

                                  “That was for your own good and you know it.”

                                  “So is this! I’m not going to let you be some spoiled brat who never had to face the consequences of his actions. It’s not good for you and it’s sure as hell not good for my kitchen.” Raphael leans over staring him directly in the eyes.

                                  “Oh, I see, you talked me into coming home because you wanted to starve me, is that it?”

                                   “Yes, that or make you clean my kitchen. I’ll accept either one.”

                                   “Do you really want to turn this into a battle of wills? Do you, Raph?” Luci stares right back. “It’s an hour of work for me vs a snap of the fingers for you. Be reasonable.” Raphael does not respond. “Anyways, I think we both know who can hold out longer. Me and my hunger or you and this messy kitchen. And then of course Michael will be angry because you took my pizza away, after everything I went  through for you, and because he’s not happy with you already. Not to mention, Alex will come home to this mess, and is she really going to think some little pissing contest between brother’s is worth an unusable kitchen and no home cooking?”

                                     “If it’ll cure you of your laziness, yes. And I’ll just use the kitchen at the bunker. Dean keeps a very clean kitchen and well stocked pantry that he’ll gladly let me use for some fresh fruits and vegetables.”

                                     “It’s not laziness! It’s efficiency!” They just glare at each other in silecne as Raphael finds himself unable to think about anything but Alex seeing hte . and   not being able to use the kitchen until Luci cleans it which will likely mean it remains until spring which will not be good for Alex’s health and will attract ants and mold and roaches and Luci will definitely not be going hungry in the mean time.

                                     “You do have a point. Alex does not deserve to suffer for you assinine behavior.” Raphael snaps the pizza back and the kitchen pristine.

                                      “Thank you. Now you see how easy that was? Luci takes a bite, finally. “Now spill. What’s the sitch with our little librarian.”

                                      “Why do you care?”

                                      “Just fucking tell me, Raphael.”

                                      “Her vessel and most of us have lost our memories of her thanks to a spell that her siblings had done to try and erase her from the Thule’s collective memory. This was before you were ressurrected.”

                                      “Ah, and the problem?”

                                      “Her vessel, Krissy with whom she’s very much in love, wants her memories of her back, but can’t find a way to do it that won’t endanger Harahel in some way.” Raphael exclaims.

                                     “That’s more of a problem for Krissy than for the librarian.” Luci makes a face. Raphael just gives him  a steady look. “Anyways it’s not so difficult, just wipe the Thule from the face of the earth down to the last squalling infant and then it’ll be safe to undo the spell.”

                                   “That is obviously not an acceptable solution, Helel.” Raphael takes out a couple eggs.

                                   “I thought they were evil anyways. The nazis that give me bad memories, that damn uboat though that was more the men of letters fault. You know they treated him like crap, like he was some fucking servant and not an angel of the lord.” Luci looks extra pissed for some reason, though Raphael can’t imagine who he’s talking about. Not Castiel, he doesn’t even actually like Castiel. “I didn’t even like the brat and I wanted to avenge his honor. How sick is that? Get me some soda, would you?” Raphael hands him an empty glass and points to the tap. “Seriously, they just absolutely took Castiel for granted. Totally and utterly for granted. I’m sure they still are just one of them’s sleeping with him now.”

                                   “That’s just when they’re working. Every person does their part, there’s not always time for thank yous and niceties in the moment. It’s after when they’re relaxing together that they show their appreciation. You just never stuck around to socialize.”

                                    “They sure found enough time to stare longlingly into each others eyes. I swear if I didn’t need them right then… I was this close to killing Sam, too. The little brat wouldn’t let me. I should probably thank him for that because then I wouldn’t have my little Shelly girl. Nah. Though if they don’t start treating my son a little better, I may reconsider.” Luci gets up and fills the glass before going to the freezer. "Seriously? No ice?”

                                    “Again, why do you care?” Raphael freezes the glass.  “And as I told you they are treating him just fine.”

                                    “Sure they are. What do humans know about an angel’s needs.” Luci snorts and taps the solidified top of the water with a fork. “Does Harahel still have all her memories of Krissy?”

                                    “As far as I know her memory was unaffected. Why?” Raphael looks at him suspiciously.

                                    “How is she at communicating in dreams? Or transmitting images. Do you think you can teach her how to do that thing you did to torture me last year?” The ice finally breaks and he can take a drink. “Maybe she can’t safely get Krissy her memories back, but I don’t see why she can’t share her own.

                                    “I can try I suppose.” Raphael tries to to sound too impressed at the idea. 

                                    “Just don’t tell anyone I was involved. I don’t want people coming to me with their problems all the time.” Luci grabs a papaya again. Raphael doesn’t stop him this time.


End file.
